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“Just say no.” You’ve likely seen and heard this anti-drug tagline. New research shows this age-old line still isn’t working as well as it could.

To meet a growing demand for drug prevention awareness in classrooms across Birmingham, the local nonprofit Addiction Prevention Coalition (APC) has stepped in with all new programs for kids in elementary, middle and high school.

Read on to learn how these programs help make a positive impact for school-aged children and how you can sign up.

Birmingham’s need for prevention awareness classroom program

As parents, protecting our kids is one of our most important jobs. But let’s be honest—we can’t be with them every second and it’s important for them to learn life skills like how to avoid peer pressure. Especially when drugs and alcohol enter the picture.

APC—a local community resource whose vision is to be a leader in addiction prevention has stepped in to help.

According to APC, one of the best ways for kids to learn how to say no to drugs and alcohol is to provide them with early prevention and awareness.

Why are these classes so important?

Substance use in youth is linked to many things, including:

Lower grades
Student absenteeism
Higher rates for high school dropouts

APC’s new classroom programs in Birmingham

After identifying a local need for prevention classes in Birmingham-area schools, APC decided to step in by developing a series of prevention programs for students.

Here’s how it works:

Each lesson is delivered in school by a trained educator at no cost to the school, teacher or students.
Each lesson varies in duration by grade + designed to navigate the challenge terrain students face daily.

The goal: to provide science-based information and practical tools to empower kids to make healthy, informed decisions.

“I think it’s fair to say that this isn’t what you think of as drug education. The way we used to educate kids about drugs didn’t work. Telling kids to ‘just say no’ didn’t work then, and it doesn’t work now. Now, we know we must equip them with the knowledge and skills to make healthy choices.”
Nichole Dawsey, Deputy Director, Addiction Prevention Coalition

APC’s classroom-based programs cover a range of ages + goals

Wondering what APC’s new classroom programs are? Here’s a look at what’s offered:

Kindergarten—Winning Friendships
- Promotes language + behaviors that build friendships + provides skills to handle uncomfortable feelings

1st Grade—Caring for Classmates
- Helps students develop social competency skills including:
  - Self-respect
  - Sharing
  - Reaching out to friends

5th Grade–O2BDrugFree
- Provides information on alcohol, tobacco/vaping + cannabis
- Helps students understand that respecting themselves + using refusal strategies will give them the inner strength to stay away from alcohol + other drugs

8th Grade–Refuse to Lose
- Presents information on specific drugs—e.g., alcohol, tobacco/vaping, cannabis, opioids

9th-12th Grade–Check Your Attitude
- Presents information on specific drugs—e.g., alcohol, tobacco/vaping, cannabis, fentanyl

How are APC’s new programs doing in Birmingham classrooms?

The answer is they are fairing great!

APC told us that as soon as they announced their new programs, they immediately saw a huge response.

You can schedule classes with APC for second semester now.

Interested in APC’s new classroom programs? Learn more + sign up by contacting Nichole Dawsey at 341.223.1660 or nichole@bhamnow.org. You can also donate to keep these programs thriving.

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