The Narconon Drug Education Program

We are losing our battle to save our children from a future of substance abuse. As of 2009, more twelfth graders are smoking marijuana than are smoking cigarettes. Among eighth graders, tenth graders and seniors, marijuana statistics go up each year along with usage statistics for of heroin, Ecstasy and OxyContin.

This is a trend that must be reversed if we are to enable our children to grow up strong and capable. This is why Narconon, an international non-profit drug rehabilitation and prevention organization developed a comprehensive drug education curriculum. Young people must know the real effects they risk if they decide to use drugs.

In forty years of experience delivering drug rehab and prevention, it’s been found that young people who gain knowledge and understanding in this area more often make the decision to stay away from drug use.

So how does the Narconon drug education curriculum bring about this knowledge in youth?

  • The educators provide information that students can relate to and easily see demonstrated in real life.
  • Educators are specifically trained to present the information in such a way that the audiences are willing to receive it
  • The facts are presented but the members of the audience are allowed to and encouraged to arrive at their own conclusions.
  • The complete Narconon curriculum even includes ways of helping young people find alternative solutions to social situations that otherwise might be solved with drug use.

Special Pages for Educators:

The Narconon Drug Education curriculum has been delivered to hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren of all ages, in countries that circle the globe. Every presentation is designed to be highly interactive so that the audience stays fully engaged. The program is also available as an audio-visual curriculum, which includes films of our live classroom presentations and interviews with students and recovered addicts, all which tell the real story.

Components of our Evidence Based Program

In the early development of our drug prevention program, Narconon staff first reviewed where drug education efforts have failed in the past. The basic method used formerly in drug education has been the “scare tactic” approach. This was an attempt to scare youth away from drugs. It never worked and in many cases perpetuated drug use by presenting information that was easily discredited. Later came an opposite approach, often call harm reduction method, which takes the apathetic approach that people are going to use drugs no matter what, therefore they should be taught how to use them safely.

As stated above, once a young person or adult truly understands the consequences to using drugs, as it relates to their life and those around them, they usually make the rational decision not to use them. It is on this basis that the Narconon program was developed and has since had decades of success with youth throughout the world.

The Narconon Drug Education program is evidence-based. A recent outcome study of the Narconon drug education program shows effectiveness in reducing drug use amongst high school students. Click here for the Narconon drug education study or view it online at www.substanceabusepolicy.com

The key to our success is both in the content and delivery of the program. Our interactive presentations and practical sessions contain simple, true information about the physical and mental effects of drugs, as well as other social issues related to drug use. The delivery of the program includes hands-on demonstration of the material with plenty of real life application.

Our professionals provide a realistic picture of drug use. We don’t just tell kids to “say no”; we educate them to come to that conclusion on their own, and more importantly, show them how to say no and what exactly they are saying no to.

Our study of questionnaires filled out by students has shown us the precise information that causes kids to:

  • Decide to stop using drugs (for those who already used them).
  • Change their mind from possibly trying or using drugs to a firm decision not to use them.
  • Believe more firmly in their decision not to use drugs (when they state they are already against them).

The Narconon drug education program also utilizes the powerful role of humor in getting through to children. We discovered that the more humor we included in the presentations, the better the results. A direct correlation was found between the level of humor and the children’s perceived dangerousness of drugs, though the message is clearly a serious matter. Humor is an effective communication tool that allows information to reach the kids and for them to really “get it”.

We also explore the problems that often underlie drug use. With teenagers, the causal factor can often be boredom or an inability to communicate with others. Therefore, other subjects such as setting and achieving goals are covered as a method to avoid falling into the trap of substance abuse. We clearly distinguish the feeling of “getting high” from drug use which is temporary and damaging from the feeling of self-confidence and true happiness through productivity and accomplishments, which is permanent and real.

Outline of Presentation Subjects

The Narconon drug education presentations are divided into several subjects. They are geared to the appropriate age groups and focus on the real life situations that often lead to drug use.

  • The physical effects of drugs on the body
  • How drugs affect the mind
  • Marijuana-The myth
  • The Truth About Ecstasy
  • The Truth About Methamphetamines
  • Drugs and Alcohol; how the media affects young people
  • Tobacco, smoking and your health
  • LSD-One of today’s most dangerous drugs
  • Establishing and achieving goals in life-how this eliminates the desire for drugs
  • Peer pressure and resisting drug use
  • Addiction-how it starts and what keeps a person addicted
  • How emotions play a role in drug use

Narconon Drug Education presentations now available on video

Find out about the full Narconon Drug Education Video Curriculum .


Drug Education