RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTION PLAN
RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTION PLAN
At the conclusion of the Asian Youth Congress on Drug Abuse Prevention, held in Sanur, Bali, from Aug. 26 to Aug. 29, hundreds of young participants pledged to adopt and uphold the following recommendations and action plan:
1. We, as the young generation, pledge to be united against drugs, despite our differences in culture.
2. We are committed to avoiding gateway drugs and stand firm in our decision to say "no" to drugs.
3. We vow not to treat drug addicts as criminals but as human beings and to always be supportive of people who want to be free of drugs.
4. We promise to be active and proactive and to create and implement effective activities for drug abuse prevention.
It is our intention to make this pledge a reality not only on paper, but also through our actions. The first step will be sharing what we have experienced here with our peers back at home.
The congress yielded several recommendations and action plans as followed:
School-based programs
*Recommendations:
- Principals and teachers need to be trained in drug prevention education and they should be drug and tobacco free.
- There should be drug prevention counseling centers at every school.
- Information on the dangers of drug use should be made available at all schools not just those in the capital. * Action plan:
- To participate actively in the formulation of school-based programs.
- To volunteer in regional areas to provide information and counseling for students who don't have access to drug prevention information.
What can young people do?
* Recommendations:
- There should be a balance of cooperation between the schools, the communities, homes, etc.
- People of influence who can provide moral support, financing and facilities need to back up the youth. Nevertheless, young people should also be active in raising funds and resources.
- The youth should be taken seriously and included as competent stakeholders in the fight against drugs.
* Action plans:
- To help in reducing the use of drugs, including alcohol, in people who are addicted.
- To use music, movies, computers and other means to increase the impact of prevention efforts and make prevention something the youth want to be a part of.
Media Literacy
* Recommendations:
- Media makers should not display mixed messages that warn of the dangers of drugs, both legal and illegal, while at the same time glorifying but not showing the real effect they have on users.
- Education that helps youth interpret the real meaning of media messages need to be included in prevention efforts.
* Action plan:
- To view the media not simply as consumers but as discerning individuals who can understand the intention of both advertisers and other media-makers and thus protect ourselves against pro- drug abuse tendencies.