Issues of addictive substances: approaches in textbooks from 16 countries

Abstract

Addictive substances, such as alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, present a serious problem in society; young people, in particular, are very vulnerable to the lure of these substances. UNESCO’s global plan of the Health Education to prevent addition recognizes the school as an important setting for drug education. School can be a place where students may come into contact with drugs with the possibility of addiction or, conversely, school can help to educate students about the reality of drugs and empower them to make responsible healthier choices. The aim of this work was to compare the approach taken towards addictive substances in textbooks within 16 countries involved in the European project “BIOHEAD-CITIZEN”. We used a specific part of the project grid for substance abuse (alcohol, tobacco and other drugs) concerning five major indicators: physical effects, psychological effects, social effects, preventive campaigns and environmental (and social) approaches. These issues are generally explored via text rather than through images. Moroccan and Mozambican textbooks do not mention tobacco and other drugs, respectively. The comparative analyses highlighted that the Finish textbook is the most comprehensive; the only country, in the study, to have a specific Health Education teaching module.