"Teaching to say "no". What is the focus in working with children to prevent drug crimes

News of the topic 21 August, MINSK . Margarita Sukhovenko, HEAD of the sector for coordination and methodological support for the prevention of crimes and offenses among students at the center for social, educational and ideological work of the Academy of Education, told journalists how they are preparing to work with children and teenagers in the area of ​​drug crime prevention in the run-up to the new academic year, BELTA reports.
"During class and information hours, topics are discussed in accordance with age. The emphasis is on the ability to say "no". it is important not to intimidate, but to teach. It is not enough to tell children aged 10-11 that drug addicts die at a young age. For them, the age of 50 is already old age. They are interested in information here and now, in the present moment, and what this can lead to, including external behavioral signs," said Margarita Sukhovenko.
The main approach to prevention is the interaction of all those responsible for the upbringing and development of minors. "These are legal representatives, teachers, educators, medical workers, employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The task is recognized by the whole society," the head of the sector noted.

According to Margarita Sukhovenko, measures are being taken to combat illegal drug trafficking and prevent their use among students. Up-to-date channels for communicating legal information to students and their parents are provided. Uniform requirements have been developed for the content, placement and updating of information on stands in educational institutions, in particular in legal corners. Information is mandatory through official websites. Special videos are shown, parent meetings are organized with the participation of employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the healthcare sector, educational psychologists study the personal characteristics of students, teachers visit families.

Changes have been made to the curricula of the subjects "Biology", "Chemistry", "Physical Education and Health", "Pre-conscription and Medical Training" and "Fundamentals of Life Safety". They include materials on the prevention of drug addiction and illegal drug trafficking.

"The age of children who commit illegal acts is constantly getting younger. Today we focus on early prevention. Thus, already in the second grade, during the study of Life Safety in the topic "Good and Bad Habits" students get acquainted with the influence of ALCOHOL and drugs on human HEALTH , in the fourth - with the concept of "drugs", their influence on the human psyche, the consequences of addiction. In the fifth grade, students study the consequences of drug addiction for human reproductive health," added the head of the sector.

Prevention of juvenile delinquency is an element of the state family policy. "The fate of a child largely depends on the family, the behavior of the parents. Family policy and increasing the prestige of the family are key topics of the state social policy. Today, the dominant idea in this area is to reduce child ill-being through the prevention of family ill-being," emphasized Margarita Sukhovenko. Photo by Sergey Sheleg