Stay Away, Stay Safe!

Drug use continues to pose a threat to young people. Although drug use is banned and restricted in most European countries, it is not always possible to prevent young people from taking drugs illegally.
According to the EMCDDA, it is estimated that approximately 2% to 2.5% of young adults use cannabis every day or almost every day, and this rate is much higher in males. It is estimated that the lifetime prevalence of cannabis use is about 22% of adults, corresponding to about 74 million people. These rates were 3.9% for cocaine (13 million people) and 3.1% for ecstasy (10 million) and 3.5% (12 million) for amphetamines. The number of problem opioid users is estimated to be between 1.2 and 1.5 million. It is reported that among Europeans, 15-39 years old, 15% of all deaths are responsible for drug-related deaths and about one-third of these deaths are related to opioids. In more than 50% of all treatment requests, it is reported that the primary drug is opioid (opium) derivatives and in 2020 approximately 650,000 opioid users were treated.
SASS aims to be an innovative project in the field of youth in which entities from different European countries will participate, with the common aim of developing knowledge, exchanging good practices in relation to the objectives, values and priorities of the EU Strategy for Youth, more specifically with the fight against drug addiction among young people with fewer opportunities, and create quality networks between youth workers and their organizations, in order to improve the quality of learning processes regarding methods of preventing the social exclusion of young people and the consequent consumption of drugs, through the development of non-formal education methods and methodologies in the field of youth, guaranteeing their quality. Our motivation to improve and to be able to provide better methods and solutions to the young people with whom we work every day, and the urgent need to change the work methodology in the face of a changing youth and with motivations and concerns that are increasingly different from those historically known.
Project aims to provide a holistic approach to drug awareness and prevention by enhancing the power of education as the main focus to alert and prevent substance abuse.
In concrete, project objectives are:
1) To assess the situation of drug education in the project partner countries, and to prepare a regional report;
2) To create a manual for youth and peer workers on how to communicate innovatively, engagingly and effectively with young people about drugs, as well as the risks associated with their use;
3) To prepare and conduct 2 trainings, the program of which would be based on the developed manual for youth workers and peer counselors about how to communicate with young people about drugs;
5) To discuss and share the results of the project at national level (in all partner countries), by inviting stakeholders to multiplier events;
6) Share the results of the project at national, European and regional level.
The effects of the project:
-Youth workers raise their awareness about substance abuse among youth,
-The participants of the training series to develop the necessary skills, knowledge and connections to effectively execute the youth-led strategy and sustain the youth consortium.
-The project will give youth workers, practical skills and knowledge in enhancing the personal and social competence of young people through the development of life skills. This includes the acquisition of situation specific skills and strategies, while addressing values and knowledge relevant to decisions being made about drug use.
-The project will reinforce existing knowledge, pro-social and healthy skills reduce misinformation, negative attitudes, risky behaviour.
-The participating organizations will acquire better knowledge on the status of adolescents´ substance use within their municipality, along with information on the risk and protective factors they can work with to achieve even more decrease in use.
-Local municipalities hearing about the project and seeking ways to apply the methodology within their municipality with the help of their neighboring municipalities, partaking in the current project.
-The participating young people will have detailed information about the deadly harms of drugs in many areas such as physical, psychological, mental, behavioral etc. on human life.
Project activities:
1)Kick-off meeting;
2) Drug education assessment report in all partner countries;
3) Realization of a Manual on drug education;
4) Training-course on drug abuse prevention for youth workers;
5) Local workshops in each partner country
6) International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking celebration in each partner country;
7) Dissemination & exploitation activities.
Project timeframe: May 1th, 2024-April 30th, 2025
We look for partner organizations (NGO`s, schools, public institutions with interest in youth field) with less experience in Erasmus+ projects.
Interested bodyes, should send us by e-mail (office@modoflife.ro) their Partner Identification Form.