The Drug Use Prevention Programme, Rebound, a media-based life skills and risk education programme developed for young people in school settings, was launched, on Wednesday, by the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Mrs Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun, at the Côte D’Or National Sports Complex.
The Director of the Health and Wellness Directorate of the Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Dr (Ms) Neeshti Reetoo; the Consultant and Executive Director of the non-profit organisation Finder, Mr Maxmillian Von Heyden; and other senior officials were also present.
In her address, the Vice Prime Minister emphasised that the Rebound Programme in educational institutions will empower Grade 10 students at school so as to enable them to develop the right risk competencies needed to build a felicitous and safe world around them. Drug abuse prevention programmes should serve the purpose of educating our adolescents about potential risks while simultaneously fostering positive behavioural patterns like effective communication and healthy coping skills, she said.
According to her, the Programme will enable youth to develop a sense of personal responsibility, of goal setting and making sound decisions, strengthening autonomous decision-making, positive group norms, and risk awareness.
While highlighting the harmful effects of drugs on the individual, family, community around the school and society at large, she underlined that Government is sparing no efforts to fight against the drug scourge in the country.
The Vice Prime Minister also spelt out other initiatives that have been introduced for the wellness of learners. They range from swimming lessons for all Grade 4 pupils to After School sports, from the setting up of School Health Clubs to the Performing Arts. She reiterated the Ministry’s vision of strengthening learners’ social and emotional well-being. “At the end of the day, what we are in effect doing is to guarantee a generation of young persons into whose safe hands we can place tomorrow’s society”, she said.
For her part, Dr (Ms) Neeshti Reetoo highlighted that substance abuse is a serious issue that affects individuals, families, and communities. Tackling the drug scourge has been very high on the agenda of the Government and a comprehensive approach has been adopted with the Prime Minister himself chairing the High Level Council on HIV and Drugs, she recalled. She also underlined that the Ministry has been an invaluable ally in the prevention of drug use at national level by implementing evidence-based preventive drug use education as the first line of defence in the war against drugs.
As for the Consultant, Mr Maxmillian Von Heyden, he underscored that the Rebound Programme is a drug use prevention programme for students aged 14 to 25 years which has been developed to achieve long- term effects in contrast to quick fix attempts. He said that its goals include cognitive, developmental and environmental dimensions while adding that the Programme is facilitated by teachers and other professionals and supported by peer mentors.
Its objectives are: Strengthening risk competence; supporting young people in strength recognition and reflective decision-making; development of risk competence regarding alcohol and other drugs; building positive developmental assets such as cognitive and emotional competence, self- perception of one’s strengths and self-efficacy; strengthening autonomous decision-making, positive group norms and risk awareness; and improving the quality of life by providing mentoring, advocacy and life skills counselling services to students.
