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Washington Drug & Alcohol Commission, Inc. (WDAC) is responsible for the development, oversight, and management of substance abuse prevention services throughout Washington County. WDAC strives to increase the implementation of prevention programs, age-appropriate strategies, polices and practices that are based on research proving effectiveness and/or best practices within the county. The focus is to reduce risk factors associated with substance use and promote the development of healthy lifestyles that positively impact individuals across the lifespan, in their communities, families and schools.
Washington Drug and Alcohol provides free of charge programs to schools. These programs are done in a classroom setting. To see a detailed description of the program click on the program.
Protecting You/Protecting Me (PYPM) has been recognized as a model program by the National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and endorsed by the National Association of Elementary School Principals, The American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. It is an approved model program by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. It has been tested across America and has had solid proof that it has prevented or reduced substance abuse and other high – risk behaviors.
The curriculum provides a series of classroom based lessons for each grade level in grades 1 – 5. Lessons are designed to be infused into a school’s core curriculum. Listed below is an overview of each lesson for each grade level followed by the pre/post test that is referred to as a survey that is given to the students before and after having the program presented. The data is collected only to evaluate what percentage of increased knowledge the students have after receiving the program. This is done by reviewing the percentages in each grade level not by individual children.
Operation Prevention Program is a program that was developed by the DEA and Discovery Education to combat a growing epidemic of prescription opioid misuse and heroin use nationwide. Operation Prevention’s mission is to educate students about the true impacts of opioids and kick-start lifesaving conversations in the home and classroom. At the middle school level this program focuses on the Brain and Body (1)What are opioids (2)What are the effects on the body (3)The nervous system and neurons (4)Endorphins and natural mood boosters (5)Withdrawal and (6)Social Media Campaigns.
Too Good programs is an evidence based program that builds a healthy foundation for students as they develop social emotional skills through engaging songs and activities. Students learn goal-setting, responsible decision making, emotion management, effective communication, and bonding and relationship skills to lay the groundwork for a drug-free and violence-free life.
Too Good For Drugs (TGFD) prepares students for the increasing challenges young teens face by fostering their ability to set and reach more complex goals. TGFD defines a sequential set of core components. Students learn goal-setting, responsible decision making, emotion management, effective communication, and bond relationship skills to lay the groundwork for a drug-free and violence-free life.
This program explores in great depth the negative effects of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use on the brain and body. Drug awareness lessons cover tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, prescription and over the counter medications and street drugs, including various stimulants and depressants. Students’ social emotional skill set are reinforced and applied as they practice peer-pressure refusal strategies and explore and understand peer influence on their decision making.
Learn more about the Too Good For Drugs Program.
Wanna Bet is a curriculum for grades 3-8, designed to discourage underage gambling through improved critical thinking and problem solving. The students will have a greater understanding of gambling facts, increased perception of gambling regularly as harmful and decreased favorable attitudes toward gambling among friends of the same age.
