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HomeDrug Free Me - Preschool Education Unit
Drug Free Me - Preschool Education Unit
Drug-free Me Unit
The Drug-free Me unit focuses on what a drug is and that medicines are kinds of drugs that help us get well when we are sick. They should only be given by an adult who is taking care of the child. Some lessons focus on the fact that cigarettes are kinds of drugs that are not healthy for the body and that make the heart and lungs work harder.
Children at this age are familiar with taking medicines but need to understand the fact that medicines change things inside their bodies and can be harmful if not used correctly. To children, correctly means simply that it is given to them by the trusted adult who is taking care of them. (This includes doctors and other healthy professionals.)
While it is clear that early presention efforts are the best ways to reducing substance use in our society, message about cigarettes and alcohol can be confusing for young children. Cigarettes are clearly harmful, yet children see many adults around them using cigarettes. Thus, the focus on the cigarette activities is to identify cigarettes and to encourage children to stay awa from cigarette smoke. Alcohol as a drug is an even more complex message because it is a drug that, in small or moderate amounts, may actually have some health benefits for some people. It is, however, the most commonly abused psychoactive drug in this country. Children at this age, however, have a difficult time differentiating responsible or appropriate use of alcohol from problem use. We have chosen, therefore, not to focus on alcohol within this unit. The general understanding that drugs can be helpful if used correctly and harmful if not used correctly is sufficient to provide a foundation for a later understanding of problems related to alcohol use.
Goals and Objectives
Children will recognize drugs as things that can be dangerous to the body and medicines as kinds of drugs that can be dangerous if they are not used correctly.
Children will be able to identify that drugs are things that change the way their bodies or minds work.
Children will recognize that medicines can help their bodies when they are sick, but can only be given by an adult that they trust.
Children will be able to identify that cigarettes are drugs.
Points to emphasize:
This is a chapter in the Healthy Start, Health Education Program for Preschoolers Sample Activities From the Chapter:
A drug is something that is put into the body and it changes the way the body or the mind work.
Some drugs, that we call medicines, can help the body when it is sick.
Children should only take medicines that is given to them by an adult who is taking care of them.
If medicine is not taken correctly, that is, if too much is taken, it can harm the body.
Some things that adults use, like cigarettes, are really drugs that change the way the body or the mind work.
Cigarettes make the heart and lungs work very hard.
When children are sick, they may need medicine, as well as good food and lots of water and juice, to help them get well.
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