Education & Young People

Raising children in our fast-paced and ever changing world has many challenges. One of those is equipping young New Zealanders to thrive in a­ world where alcohol and other drugs exist.

Schools are a cornerstone of a young person’s healthy development, and offer many protective factors. The more vulnerable the young person, the more crucial this positive influence may be. We are excited to see that many NZ schools are finding ways to keep all their students engaged in education.

Preparing young people to live in a modern world involves building their knowledge, values and critical thinking to make sense of what they see and hear. 

There are more than 700 known psychoactive substances out there, and a wealth of conflicting information at the end of a Google search. Simply telling students about the risks of taking drugs is outdated and will not prepare them for the reality of today’s world. We need to help students develop critical thinking, to help them discern accurate, healthy information from all the unhelpful information that’s out there.

The Drug Foundation works with a range of partners to develop approaches that improve wellbeing, develop critical thinking, and reduce harms from alcohol and other drugs.