Teachers now have a free, new, digital curriculum available to help them teach middle school students about the dangers of underage drinking.
Blackman said the curriculum will teach students what each part of the brain does, how each part is affected by alcohol and how alcohol alters a user’s behavior or functions. For example, students would learn about the effect of alcohol on balance and on memory.
A national survey conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse in 2015 found that 10 percent of 8 th graders reported drinking in the last month, while 5 percent admitted to binge drinking, or having five or more drinks in a row, in the previous two weeks.
“Although substance misuse problems and use disorders may occur at any age, adolescence and young adulthood are particularly critical at-risk periods,” Dr. Murphy said in a press release. “Preventing or even simply delaying young people from trying substances is important to reducing the likelihood of a use disorder later in life.”
Blackman echoed those sentiments.
“We think if we can help kids understand the negative consequences of underage drinking before they’re in situations requiring them to make decisions in the face of peer pressure, then we stand a better chance of delaying the onset of alcohol consumption,” said Blackman.
The hope is that these lessons will stick as students go on to high school and beyond and that students will talk about what they’ve learned with their parents.
“We know that parents are the leading influence in kids’ decisions to drink or not to drink, and we are committed to guiding a lifetime of conversations,” said Blackman.
The curriculum was designed to align with National Health Education Standards , the Common Core State Standards , and the Next Generation Science Standards and was reviewed by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the American School Counselor Association .