Beyond health education: Preventing problematic substance use by enhancing students' well-being

What can school communities do? Universal strategies for all students!

Promote well-being

Promoting students' well-being involves increasing protective factors that can reduce risk of problematic substance use.

• Provide opportunities for students to engage in positive behaviours (e.g., helping, sharing, donating and volunteering)
• Provide opportunities for building skills that support resilience (e.g., social and emotional skills)
• Encourage students' sense of hope

Create welcoming environments

The foundation for a welcoming environment includes healthy, supportive relationships and a safe, inclusive school climate that supports all students' well-being.

• Apply the Comprehensive School Health Framework to inform school-based efforts to promote well-being
• Create safe, inclusive and welcoming learning environments
• Partake in anti-oppressive training and incorporate learnings in teaching to create a culture where diversity is expected and respected

Integrate effective programs

There are effective universal school-based programs that can reduce students' risk of problematic substance use by supporting positive youth development.

• Connect with organizations that offer positive youth development programs and other resources
• Implement positive youth development programs through research and knowledge mobilization opportunities
• Try different classroom strategies that support positive youth development

For more information and additional resources, please visit the Preventing Problematic Substance Use through Positive Youth Development project website.

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Health, 2019 | Cat.: HP10-29/2019E-PDF | ISBN: 978-0-660-30017-7 (PDF) | Pub.: 180885

The series of resources includes

• Research briefs
  • Promoting well-being
  • Welcoming environments
  • Effective programming
• Whiteboard videos
  • Promoting well-being
  • Welcoming environments
  • Effective programming