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1.  This session gave a clearer depiction of how the brain is set up and the areas most affected by drug use.

2. My group discussed how marijuana affects behavior both short term and long term. We discussed not only the negative effects but also the positive.

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1. The review session where groups shared on the state of affairs in their country was informative.  Though different in many ways, persons from all these islands have become dependent on various substances to help cope with the challenges they face daily.

2. Question: Will prevention campaigns have any success if present policies that encourages the practice of various substances are passed. Example, decriminalize marijuana

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1. In this session, I was given a clear picture as to how different psychoactive drugs affect our mood, thoughts and behaviours.

2. I also found the mouse party game to be an interesting and fun way of learning about the presented drugs.

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1.  Today I learned of how substance affects the mind and body o women specifically. We focused on not just the physical impact but also the social, medical and mental.

2. The visual representation of the impact of drugs on the brain was also quite interesting.

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The group presentations painted a picture of similarities across many countries.  We are fortunate to be in the company of knowledgeable facilitators and peers who can share information to provide guidance on where do we go from here.

The Mouse party is an engaging and interesting way to learn about the effects of psychoactive substances to the body.  I think this is a tool that can be used to raise awareness to any age group, especially teens and children.

I also recognize, there is much more work to be done before Governments across the region legalize marijuana, however, many have already decriminalized it. WE must strike a balance and put protective factors in place before making progress in this.

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The group work that we focused on was the health impact of psychoactive substances.  This stirred some thoughts as I never connected so many health consequences to substance abuse.  Which lead me to recognize just how much economic strain these unhealthy practices are placing on our country's, communities' and home economy.  As we all know health impacts finances drastically.

The other presentations were also eye opening. I am wondering if we can present these various effects of psychoactive substance abuse to policy makers to open their eyes to how critical it is for us to maximize preventative measures.

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1. The break down of stages of use was very interesting. It's shows the progression from experimental to addiction and how easy it is to advance on stages.

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As our group engaged with the Environmental theme of prevention, I was able to connect this to my work strategies.  One of the premise of our Family Counseling program, is that a child is not only influenced by the family, but also by the other corners of society where he/she is being influenced.  Therefore, once a holistic approach is taken, these influences/environments outside of the home can be used as a protective factor.

I recognized how this course will be beneficial to my work and began thinking of sharing with my colleagues and possible strategies to integrate into my work.

In learning about the different stages, it is clear how easily someone can progress from one stage to another. This is another useful tool when engaging with others.

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Substance use appear harmless as such there is initial and frequent use.  Yet what appear Harmless often times prove harmful as the initial use which led to frequent use becomes dependent use.

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Delving more into the influences the micro and macro aspects have on the prevention process was very interesting.

Lei's discussion of the Critical themes and how they interrelate to the overall prevention goal provided a clearer understanding for me. She mentioned how each theme must be incorporated. The elimination of one theme would change the entire scope; it would not be considered as the Universal Prevention Approach.

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The group discussions thus far have been interesting….. a clearer understanding as to how mental health is a very important role in the use of drugs and how it can and will affect us…..

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The mouse party game was very interested and can be used in many different forums to keep students attentive

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The major components of Prevention Science are Epidemiology, Etiology and Research.

The understanding of the importance of epidemiology to Prevention intervention was communicated.
It is crucial to know what substance is being used, the population that is using, their environment and the susceptibility.  This tool provides professionals with information that guides a targeted approach.  It is crucial that we take an evidence-based approach.

These aid in the monitoring and evaluating of strategies.

Incidence relates to New cases
Prevalence speaks to existing cases

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1.  This module highlighted the importance of epidemiology and the impact it has determining the need for intervention and the type of intervention needed.

2. Not only is it important to be able to gather the information but it also important to be able to read and understand the information being published.

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Collaboration, research, monitoring and evaluation are crucial to the delivery of a prevention strategy.

Prevention seems to be a continuum

Prevention science has the potential to create sustained evidence-based intervention to families. It gives way to continuous monitoring and evaluation and creates the opportunity to be flexible and creative in reaching the specified populations.

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It is a lot of information to process.  This is the first time being expose to evidence based drug prevention as a discipline.  I realize that if we are to help make a positive difference understanding the negative impact of substance use on persons, the various factors that contribute to substance use, the demographics is vital.
As such the information gathered should guide the appropriate interventions.  Interventions should be specific-geared towards a target group, we should know who we are seeking to help prevent or stop use, relevant-it must address the felt and unfelt needs, measure and monitored- what ever is chosen to help achieve goal must be assess to see if it is making a difference, to avoid wasting resources

As I listened to the articulate presentations yesterday, the question came to mind, with so much evidence based available data on the negative impact of substance use, data on programmes that can help and prevention professionals why are governments not implementing stronger policies to increases the chances of prevention?

Does evidence based prevention have a chance where substance that are dangerous  are made legal or decriminalize?
If the perception from the leaders in society that substance use is harmless and make laws to strengthen their  perception this increases the chances of substance use.

Present governments are saying with words and budget climate change is worth addressing. Can the same be said about substance use?

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What motivates us to do a task, would determine how we execute that task, how we would overcome the challenges associated with that task and how consistent we will be.  Intrinsic motivation refers to behaviors that are driven by internal rewards (satisfaction, desire)
External motivation refers to behaviors that are driven by external rewards (money, prizes)
Intrinsic motivation is more beneficial as it drives persons to push forward inspite of obstacles. It lends way to creativity as well.

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It was interesting to note that motivation plays a huge role in our behaviours. This session gave me an idea to start listing out my intrinsic and extrinsic possible sources of motivation before carrying out a specific task. This may give me more drive to complete my daily tasks.

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these past few session has provided a great opportunity to share ideas and experiences.

we have focused on why it is important to have prevention programs. not only to have them but to identify the need for them and to tailor them to suit those needs. we have also learned the importance of creating programs that are sustainable and benefits from the resources that we have available. the importance of tapping into community and human resources as these will almost always steer the success of the program.

we have also focused on why it is important to understand use behavior. this helps us to tailor our programs to shared experiences are always a way to figure out best practices.

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Motivation…… something we all need in all aspects of life when we really think about it. I reflected on where I used to work and my Intrinsic motivation really played a big part in me staying at that job for so long

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The outcomes whether positive and negative is a result of several factors.  No one was born that way, both positive and negative behaviors were learned. As such it is important to understand  the processes that shape behavior and perception so as to know how to help persons unlearned negative behavior and learn positive ones.

In light of this knowledge, I recognize that the perception and use of various substance in my society-harmless will increase the chances of initial use among the majority of the population. Unless the leading influences among the age groups see substance as they really are change will not happen as it should. Case in point, the teens observe from home, peers, society and social medias that substance use is a key part of our existence. They observe family, friends, and strangers use substance for fun and cope with stressors. Popularity says it is good

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this was a week of invigorating discussions on program selection and implementation.
I enjoyed the use of Blueprint especially, being exposed to EB programs that are already out there.

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Today was  great day for self reflection.  I enjoyed the task of self assessing where you are now and creating a development plan for areas you'd like to improve.

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Excellent delivery of knowledge by both facilitators. The use of games and activities kept the course fun and engaging. Thank you both for such great work.