Drug abuse awareness is an understanding of what exactly substance abuse is, what substance abuse does, what the risks are, how substance abuse can lead to the development of an addiction, how to recognize warning signs of addiction, what kind of consequences addiction can have, and what to do and how to help if a friend or a family member has an addiction.

If you are a teacher, youth group leader or parent, the Elks Drug Awareness Program has developed a set of free lessons for you to use with your students and teens. The materials in these lessons are designed to provide teens with facts and engage them in critical thinking about how drugs affect their lives, behavior, and different parts of the body. Each lesson includes a clear objective.

Current Elks Teen Zone Lessons (lessons.elksteenzone.org/teachers) address Alcohol, Bullying, Marijuana, Tobacco, Decision Making, and General Drug Information. https://lessons.elksteenzone.org/teachers  

Upcoming Lessons will address Conflict Resolution, Depressants, Eating Healthy and Exercising, Feelings, Gambling, Grief, Hallucinogens, Self Esteem, Steroids, Stimulants, Stress, and Success.

By completing these online lessons, students will understand how specific drugs can affect the brain and body, possibly causing lasting physical or mental problems, including addiction. They will also learn how an individual’s drug abuse can affect friends and family and have a lasting effect on their future.

Know that the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks welcomes you to their resource center for the Elks National Drug Awareness Program and will continue to invest in our communities through programs that help children grow up healthy and drug-free, and by undertaking projects that address unmet needs.