Education about substance use is essential to help students develop the necessary skills and knowledge to make healthier choices. Classroom teachers have a unique opportunity to positively influence the lifestyle choices of their students through role modelling, knowledge, and teaching.
Substance use occurs along a spectrum ranging from no use at all to experiencing a substance use disorder.
(School Mental Health Ontario, 2019)
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) conducts the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey in Grades 7-12 in schools across Ontario every two years. Read the summary report or watch the video for the 2021 results.
The Connection Between Mental Health and Substance Use
Youth have identified that they use alcohol, cannabis and other drugs to enhance their social experience and to cope with stress and mental health issues. Regular and early use of substances including alcohol and cannabis in adolescence can harm the developing brain, and is also linked with behavioural, physical and mental health issues.
Educators play a key role in healthy student development. All students, including those who are already using substances, can benefit from learning how to cope with stress and anxiety. It is important for teachers, coaches and other trusted adults to be ready to talk with youth about substance use and mental health problems. For more information on mental health and how you can support your students click here.
Using the Ministry of Education’s Foundations for a Healthy School framework, schools, school boards, parents and community partners can work together to develop healthy school environments that promote and support student well-being. Information below has been organized following this framework.
Looking for help for youth?
CAMH Youth Vaping, Substance Use, and Technology Dependence Service (YOUTH-VAST) program
Intended for youth (ages 12 to 21) across Ontario who are facing challenges related to vaping, substance use, and/or technology use.
- Individuals can refer directly to the program; no physician referral required.
- All services are offered for FREE.
- Services offered at an outpatient location in Toronto or virtually throughout all of Ontario
For more information or to refer to the program please visit: https://www.camh.ca/en/patients-and-families/programs-and-services/youth-vast
Curriculum, Teaching and Learning
General
- Party Safer Toolkit (Grades 9-12) The purpose of this toolkit is to provide school administrators, teachers, students, and parents/caregivers with resources and messaging that encourages students to have fun while making decisions to celebrate in safer ways.
- My Brain My Choice (Grade 6) Focusing on legal substances (tobacco/vaping, cannabis and alcohol), this 60-minute public health-led presentation will introduce concepts of brain development and addiction to students in a fun and interactive way. Using our “egg brain model”, students will learn how substances affect brain chemistry and can lead to addiction. Throughout, students are encouraged to think of healthy behaviours associated with positive brain development. Please contact us to request the presentation and access this resource.
- OPHEA (Grades 1-12) Ontario Physical and Health Education Association (OPHEA) provides resources to support lesson plans about substance use, addiction and related disorders.
- Talking About Series (Grade 7-12) This educational resource addressing cannabis, tobacco, vaping, and waterpipes includes a set of activity guides to help facilitate critical discussion with young people in a fun and informative manner. This resource aligns with the 2015 H&PE Curriculum.
Cannabis
- OPHEA Teaching Tools: Cannabis Education Activity Plans (Grades 5-12) These elementary and secondary level activity plans have been designed to support educators in providing students with inquiry-based activities to address the topic of cannabis with the Substance Use, Addictions and Related Behaviours curriculum expectations.
- The High Way Home? (Grades 10-12) This interactive web site developed by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) guides users through real life scenarios where they must make decisions about cannabis use and driving. Youth focus groups were consulted in the planning stages of the web site development and content addresses key findings from research conducted by CCSA on Canadian youth perceptions on cannabis.
Vaping
- Vaping – What Elementary Teachers Need to Know Fact Sheet (Grades 1-8) This fact sheet from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health provides general information about vaping and outlines important facts, associated risks, and additional resources to support educators in having informed conversations with students.
- Vaping Education Resources from OPHEA (Grades 4-8) Find instructional moments videos and an educator guide as well as conversation starter videos.
- Not an Experiment (Grades 7-8) Access educator resources, lesson plans, and watch informative videos on the risks of vaping.
- Vaping – What You and your Friends Need to Know Fact Sheet (Grades 7-12) This resource from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health provides information about vaping for students, including important facts, associated risks and additional resources.
- HPEPH Recorded Presentation (Grades 9-12) View a recorded presentation by HPEPH which talks about what’s in a vape, the health effects of vaping and nicotine addiction, and supports for quitting.
- The pdf presentation without the recorded audio is also available.
- The pdf presentation without the recorded audio is also available.
- Vaping – What Secondary Teachers Need to Know Fact Sheet (Grades 9-12) This fact sheet from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health provides general information about vaping and outlines important facts, associated risks, and additional resources to support educators in having informed conversations with students.
- Vaping – What Secondary School Teachers Need to Know Presentation Grades 9-12) This presentation outlines the health risks and laws associated with vaping. Information is provided on how to promote student well-being and prevention of vaping.
School and Classroom Leadership
- Cannabis and Schools – Learn more about recreational cannabis and the steps you can take to protect youth.
- Naloxone Training – this is used to train non-medical personnel to deliver the opioid antidote – naloxone – in response to an opioid overdose.
- Prescription opioids, including fentanyl: What educators need to know – School Mental Health Ontario and CAMH have created this info sheet to inform educators about opioids, how to prevent and reduce the risk of opioid use, and the signs of an overdose.
Student Engagement
- Engaging Youth With Health – Learning Module for Educators – Canadian Lung Association – this online learning module provides an overview of key concepts related to Youth Engagement and Health.
- Youth Mental Health and Addiction Champion (YMHAC) – The Youth Mental Health and Addiction Champion (YMHAC) Initiative aims to improve the health and well-being of children and youth through a focus on mental health promotion, stigma reduction, and substance misuse prevention.
School Wide Campaigns
- Consider the Consequences (vaping)
- Know More: Opioid Public Awareness
- National Addictions Awareness Week (3rd week of November)
- Protect Canadian Kids – Aims to reduce the level of nicotine in vaping products.
- Pursue Your Passion – Focused on cannabis but interventions are applicable to preventing use of any substance.
- Your Health is Not an Experiment – A campaign to prevent vaping.
Social and Physical Environments
Smoke Free Ontario
Public Health is mandated to enforce the Smoke-Free Ontario Act (SFOA), 2017, within its jurisdiction of Hastings and Prince Edward Counties which includes school grounds. To learn more about how the Act affects schools visit our Tobacco Laws and Enforcement page, contact the Tobacco Talk Line at 613-966-5513 or 1-800-267-2803, ext. 600, or email the Tobacco Talk Line at ttl@hpechu.on.ca.
School Complaints
For incidences of smoking/vaping tobacco, E-cigarettes, or cannabis on school property, or within 20 metres of school property, please complete the School Incident Report form to report the occurrence to our enforcement officers. This report also applies to witnessing the sale of tobacco, cannabis or e-cigarettes on, or near, school property to those under 19 years of age.
School Board Policies
School boards can set policy that influence the social & environmental norms students experience. Individual schools should speak to their school boards about whether they can develop individual school policies.
Policies that include “possession” language are desirable as they go above and beyond the Smoke Free Ontario Act by not allowing tobacco, vapes, or other substances on school property or at school-related events.
The following is an example of an administrative procedure: Alcohol, Tobacco, Vaping, Cannabis, and Drug Free Environment
It is supported by a prevention-focused administrative procedure: Drug, Cannabis, Alcohol and Tobacco: Standards and Education
Home, School and Community
- Strategies for Parents to Prevent or Delay Teen Substance Use – A guide with six parenting strategies to prevent or delay teen substance use.
- Cannabis Talk Kit: Know how to talk with teens – Drug Free Kids has create this resource to provide parents with practical tips on how to talk to your teen about cannabis.
- Drug Free Kids: Resources for Parents – Provides information for parents and educators to support conversations with teens about cannabis (edibles), alcohol, opioids and vaping.
- Talking Pot with Youth: A Cannabis Communication Guide for Youth Allies – This resource provides information and a set of exercises to engage youth in meaningful discussions and conversations about cannabis. This guide takes a harm reduction approach and provides practical approaches to talking with youth about cannabis.
- For more information about opioids, including fentanyl, visit our Opioids and Other Drugs web page.
- E–Prevention And Vaping (EPAV) Project – The EPAV project aims to produce Canada’s first by-youth-for-youth vaping reduction and prevention project, providing reliable information informed by youth experiences, and delivering focused prevention messages.
- For more information about vaping, see our Vaping web page.
