When you say the word “Narconon,” most people will think of the drug rehabilitation program that has been around for more than 40 years and is known for achieving a success rate where 7 out of 10 graduates stay drug free for a time period from 6 months to several years after treatment. Rehab treatment is not, however, all that Narconon does. Another program is Narconon Drug Prevention & Education, an organization that provides educational materials on the subject of drugs to young people in schools and community groups. This organization has recently announced the release of a new publication that has the potential to greatly contribute to efforts to keep young people away from drugs. Make Your Goals Come True: Say No to Drugs! Say Yes to Life! is a 16-page coloring book that features 35 unique illustrations along with helpful information that is aimed at steering children away from drugs and towards success in life. Each page of the book features a short lesson on different life skills that readers can put to immediate use in the pursuit of their goals. These precepts cover subjects such as hard work and industriousness, healthy habits for taking care of oneself, learning new skills and diligently practicing them to achieve true competence. All of these topics are included in the book for the purpose of bolstering children’s ability to thrive and succeed in life, thereby making it less likely that they will turn to drugs as a way to cope with stress and pressure.
Using Positive Peer Pressure to Keep Kids Off Drugs
One aspect of the book that makes it unique is that it takes what is perhaps the number one reason that young people begin using drugs and turns it around to serve the opposite purpose, of keeping kids happy and healthy. What is this powerful factor? Peer pressure. Peer pressure is something that is nearly always thought of with negative connotations, and understandably so. After all, peer pressure is what accounts for a large percentage of cases of adolescent drug use. Young people who have friends who use drugs are far more likely to do so themselves, whether out of a desire to look cool or out of anxiety over not fitting in with the group. There can be, however, a positive type of peer pressure. Just as children and teenagers can feel compelled to follow their peers into self-destructive behavior, so can they be led into doing the right thing when their friends and other age mates set a good example to follow. This is what the new Narconon book does.
Narconon Drug Prevention & Education got help from a group of eight young people living in Southern California in producing the book, getting them involved as the artists who provided the various illustrations. The book is essentially by kids, for kids, and it harnesses the power of peer pressure to discourage children from using drugs and gives them tools and skills for pursuing their goals in life.
Spreading Drug Prevention Education into the Community
Since its release, the book has been distributed to Boys and Girls Clubs, a local city council member’s office, the Los Angeles Police Department cadet program, churches, health fairs and other events where the book can be gotten into the hands of young people. So far this has primarily occurred in the Northeast San Fernando Valley, where it has received highly positive responses from the community, and the program is expected to expand in the near future. Each of the young artists who contributed to the project is featured with a photo and a short profile on the back cover of the book. They include a budding architect, a future Marine, passionate volunteers and others who plan to continue as artists as they enter adulthood. Each of these young people has made a strong positive contribution towards helping kids stay off drugs, and in recognition of this they received Community Service Awards in acknowledgement of their work.
To view the full release go to:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/anti-drug-booklet-/created-by-youth/prweb10958819.htm
To read more on Narconon visit our site at www.narconon.com.
