SAN ANTONIO – The University of Texas at San Antonio has a new program designed to educate youths about the effects of alcohol and drugs.
For the program, UTSA hired two peer educators who will go into a middle school, which is not being named, to work with students.
“There’s a lot of different ways for the middle school students to learn about drugs and alcohol — the effects the drugs and alcohol have on the body and the brain — as well as to learn about how to improve their social relationships, improve their decision making and make smart, healthy decisions,” said Eric Shattuck, a postdoctoral research fellow.
There will also be some material about vaping, which is a big issue in schools.
Shattuck said the educators will use workbooks and games to educate students.
The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded UTSA a $1.5 million grant for the five-year project.
“We also want to see improvements in the students, family relationships,” Shattuck said.
According to the 2018 Texas School Survey of Drug and Alcohol Use, 34% of seventh-graders said they drank alcohol in their lifetime, and for eighth-graders, it was 42%.
Shattuck said the researchers will also be working with the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District to collect data to see if the program is working.