Life Skills Education Toolkit

18 • MUDULE NINE: SUBSTANCE USE

Linking Learning With Life

Ask the children to think of risky situations where they were tempted. Was it similar to this one or

different? Why and in what way? Try to relate this exercise to any risky behavior such as gambling,

drinking, drug abuse or sexual behavior.

Tips for the facilitator:

• The objective of the activity is to understand “temptation” and different responses to temptation.
  Ways of dealing with temptation will be dealt with in the next activity.


• Activities Two and Three have to be done one after the other.

ACTIVITY THREE

Making it All Work

1. Discuss with the children if the information is now enough to avoid taking drugs or reducing use
   and if there is anything else that they may need to do to straighten out their lives. The children
   should point out that thinking, decision-making and communication are some of the life skills
   needed for the above goal.


2. Ask someone to recall the three Cs, which were learned in decision-making (challenges,
   choices and consequences). The facilitator should help the children walk through the three
   steps.


3. Ask the children what happens when the pressure to take drugs increases. The list may
   look like:
   
   
   • You feel your own pressure. Other people do not say anything, but you see others and
     feel pressured to join in;
   
   
   • A friend offers the drug. The friend offers it, and you take it without much hesitation;
   
   
   • Verbal pressure ranging from insults (do not be a baby) to reasoning (one will not hurt you);
     and/or
   
   
   • Physical pressure. Where one is physically threatened to join. Ask the children to
     incorporate increasing pressure in their role play.
   
   
   
   


4. Divide the children into two or three groups. Provide them with problem cards and ask them to
   find solutions. They should discuss the problems within the group and present them as a role
   play or through some other creative medium. After presentation, ask the rest of the children to
   comment on the solutions suggested. Some of the problems faced by the children are
   as follows: