Friend,

I’m thrilled to share Safety First: Real Drug Education for Teens [link removed], the nation’s first harm reduction-based drug education curriculum for high school teachers.
 
The Drug Policy Alliance created this tool because we believe accurate, honest, compassionate drug education is a right for all young people. And Safety First is accessible for all – you can download the entire curriculum for free here. [link removed]
 
We’re hopeful the curriculum will be implemented far and wide across the country. Please help us spread the word and forward this email to share Safety First with teachers, friends and family. [link removed]
 
Safety First consists of 15 lessons that can be completed in a 45- to 50-minute class period. Each lesson is designed to engage students through interactive activities such as discussions and role-playing. It is aligned with National Health Education Standards as well as Common Core State Standards so it can be easily integrated into Health classes.
 
We launched Safety First earlier this month [link removed], and it already has hundreds and hundreds of downloads and generated great media buzz in a wide range of publications from Education Week [link removed] to VICE [link removed] to The Fix [link removed].

This comes at an extremely vital time when the U.S. is experiencing its worst public health crisis in decades, with nearly 70,000 American lives being lost to accidental overdose in 2018 alone. Drug overdose is now the leading cause of death among Americans under 50.
 
“Just Say No” and abstinence-only programs like D.A.R.E. have failed to protect youth and are, in fact, largely to blame for the stigma around drugs and people who use them.
 
Safety First [link removed] is a new approach that’s been a long time in the making. We’ve spent the past two years piloting and refining the curriculum, and we believe we’ve created an effective tool for educators that empowers students to make healthy choices about alcohol and other drugs.
 
DPA has a long history of providing guidance to parents on how to talk with their kids about drugs. The core of this advice can be found in the Safety First: A Reality-Based Approach to Teens and Drugs [link removed] booklet which is available in eight languages and has been widely distributed.
 
With your commitment, we will raise a generation of young people who are not only equipped with information and skills to stay safe in high school, but who also have a foundation to prepare them as they progress into adulthood.
 
Help us get the word out about Safety First by forwarding this email to teachers, friends and family. [link removed]

Sincerely,

Sasha Simon, MPH
Safety First Program Manager
Drug Policy Alliance


The Drug Policy Alliance depends entirely on private donations to fund our work to end the war on drugs and promote new drug policies grounded in science, compassion, health, and human rights. Your support is crucial [link removed] – thank you!

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