Following intensive testing in Bedfordshire under the management of B:DAT (Bedfordshire Drug & Alcohol Action Team), the educational card game Knockout Drugs is now being rolled out nationally.
Ive just used the game with a teenager for the first time (he beat me!). It was an excellent starting point for an exploration of his drugs awareness and really encouraged him to ask about any gaps in his knowledge.
It is the most engaged I have seen this young person over the month that I have already been working with him. He commented that he enjoyed the game and it made him think more in depth about the issues raised.
Chris Rigg, Specialist Social Worker (Substance Misuse), Goole Family Support Service
Knockout Drugs was created in response to the need by youth workers for an engaging, interactive drug education resource that was accessible to vulnerable young people with low numeracy and literacy levels.
The game (primarily for 12-16 year olds) supports the three year national FRANK Campaign joint funded by the Home Office, Department of Health and Department for Education and Skills. Players are signposted to the free and confidential campaign telephone and website information and advice service.
Knockout drugs also contributes to the Young Peoples targets of the Home Office National Drug Strategy Tackling Drugs by providing substance misuse education for young people, particularly vulnerable young people.
The cards are very useful. We have found them to be a way of broaching the subject of drugs to young people in an informal way, both keeping them interested and allowing them to learn about the properties of drugs.
We have used them on the residential units with a mixture of different backgrounds of individuals and have found them to be very well accepted. Our CARATs team have started to use them also, especially with those who have no information or idea about the dangers or effects of drug use.
Many thanks again for sending them to us.
Chris Martin, Drug Strategy Team, HMPYOI Feltham
It can be used with a wide range of young people in both formal and informal settings. Testing and evaluation demonstrated that Knockout Drugs can be used by young peoples workers as an ice-breaker, discussion starter and disclosure tool. It also enables workers to assess young peoples knowledge of substance misuse issues, such as the re-classification of Cannabis, the legal status of specific drugs, and the risks of Class A drugs such as Heroin and Crack.
What proved interesting in the focus group we ran, was that people have a range of opinions on some of the ratings given to specific drugs, which provoked considerable a discussion around their beliefs, perceptions, experience and attitudes to substance misuse issues said Liam OFarrell, director at hey moscow, co-producers of the game. Its also an excellent resource to introduce families, parents and carers to substance misuse information and FRANK, by playing the game with their children.
Having been developed for use in Bedfordshire by the Drug & Alcohol Action Team, the game is now available to other organisations who wish to personalise their own set of games for local distribution. For more information, please contact Hannah Lynch at hey moscow on 020 8357 7394 or email: hannahl@heymoscow.com
Posted: 28th March 2006
