Hundreds of Orillia elementary school children learned how to steer clear of drugs, alcohol and cannabis this week, while being educated about how important it is to put the brakes on destructive behaviour.
More than 650 Grade 5 pupils from Orillia participated in the R.A.C.E. (Respect, Action, Courage and Excellence) Against Drugs over two action-packed days at ODAS Park.
The objective is to “utilize the sport of auto racing to capture the attention of young people and communicate with them as they move and interact through 10 pit stops to learn key messages about the importance of a drug and alcohol-free lifestyle,” said Carolyn Jones, a public health nurse who helps organize the annual event.
Groups of students spend eight minutes at each of the 10 pit stops.
At one pit stop, for example, students learn about refusal skills from Georgian College students who present mini scenarios to help equip them to say no.
At another pit stop, students learn, through three scenarios, the costs of substance use and how it can cause a person to give up on their dreams.
Later, students are asked to create ‘Think of Me’ cards that police officers can hand out at RIDE stops and to offenders. These simple drawings can send a clear message about the impact of distracted driving or driving while under the influence.
One stop is a teepee. Inside, a First Nations storyteller tells an engaging story about a boy who listens to the temptation of a talking snake. The message is students need to think and become educated before making a decision that could come back to bite them.
Simcoe County paramedics also help kids understand the consequences of alcohol poisoning and teach students how to deal with the impact - from calling 911 to putting a person in the ‘recovery’ position.
Elsewhere, kids learn from a pharmacist about safe drugs and risks associated with prescription medicine while another focuses on life choices and another concentrates on how choices related to tobacco can compromise their health.
One of the most popular stops was an interactive lesson about impairment where kids are asked to walk a line and deposit a bean bag in a bucket. Then, they are fitted with ‘impairment’ goggles and asked to do it again.
“The kids really like that,” Jones said of the goggles. “We try to make it relatable and ask them how they would be able to ride a bike or skateboard while wearing those goggles and to stress that in real life, the effects of alcohol and drugs can take many hours to” abate.
The event culminates with teams playing the Mario Cart Wii game. Students are reminded that being the fastest car is not the most important thing; finishing first may be more about good judgment, quick reflexes, being drug-free and healthy.
Much work goes into designing the course and the elements, Jones said, noting several community partners have been working on the “foundational” program for about four months.
The RACE program was also designed to reflect the character values and curriculum taught within the Simcoe County and District of Muskoka school boards, Jones noted.
“The RACE Against Drugs is built on the curriculum to help Grade 5 teachers teach those subjects,” said Jones, noting the hope is the program acts as “a springboard or platform” to apply the lessons in the classroom.
“We’re hoping they will go back and do some math around the cost of drugs, for example, or write a poem or an essay or do some drama about addictions or mental health issues,” Jones explained.
She also hopes the students go home and talk about the issues with their family members and friends.
“We went them to remember that cannabis may be legal, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe,” Jones explained of the event’s lessons.
“We also remind them that most kids don’t do drugs or alcohol and they can be one of those,” said Jones, noting how important it is to protect the cells in a young person’s developing brain.
The program, she said, is aimed at Grade 5 students for a reason.
“Through research, we know at age 10, kids really want to know what’s right or wrong and they actually want to do what’s right,” said Jones. “At Grade 5, they know they have choices and choices matter and they want them to be good ones.”
The goal of the program is to equip them to make good decisions.
Over two days, 650 Grade 5 kids from 20 Orillia and area schools were bussed to ODAS Park for the event.
