Too Good for Drugs
Too Good For Drugs (TGFD) is an evidence-based prevention program proven to reduce the intention to use alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs in middle and high school students. Developed by the Mendez Foundation for use with students in kindergarten through second grade, TGFD has a separate, developmentally appropriate curriculum for each grade level, and its designed to develop:
- Personal and interpersonal skills relating to alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drug use.
- Appropriate attitudes toward alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drug use.
- Knowledge of the negative consequences of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drug use and benefits of a drug-free lifestyle.
- Positive peer norms.
The program's highly interactive teaching methods encourage students to bond with prosocial peers, and engage students through role-play, cooperative learning, games, small group activities, and class discussions. Students have many opportunities to participate and receive recognition for involvement. TGFD also impacts students through a family component used in each grade level: "Home Workouts" in kindergarten through second grade.
Target population
TGFD targets kindergarten through second grade.
Benefits
- Reduces risk and enhances protective factors that affect alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drug use.
- Reduces intentions to use alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs.
- Develops more appropriate attitudes toward alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs.
- Improves decision making, goal setting, and peer resistance.
- Increases friendships with peers less likely to use alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs.
How it works
TGFD consists of sequential curricula, developmentally appropriate to each grade level, which builds on skills learned in the previous years. While one year on TGFD has produced measurable positive effects, multi-year programming prevents or reduces degradation of these effects. For maximum effectiveness, TGFD should be implemented each school year. TGFD uses proven, research-based strategies including:
- Multi-lesson, Multi-grade Level Programming: 10 lessons per grade level, kindergarten through second grade. 30 to 40 minute sessions.
- Normative Education: provides accurate information about the percentage of youth that use drugs and the percentage that would disapprove if their friends used drugs.
- Information on Harmful Effects of Drug Use: raises students’ perception of risk.
- Prosocial Skills Development: Features goal setting, decision-making, coping, communication, and peer refusal skills.
- Diverse Role-Play Situations: relating to alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drug use and associated problem behaviors provide many opportunities for practice.
- Cooperative Learning: promotes prosocial skills and academic development.
- Parental Involvement: promotes discussion and reinforces concepts and skills students learn from TGFD.