Life Skills Training for Drug Prevention and Training of Trainers – A Sri Lankan Case Study

Abstract

This paper presents the case study of a series of life skills training programmes the Young Men’s Muslim Association (Y.M.M.A.) Sri Lanka conducted as part of its drug prevention drive training programmes delivered to school children and youth, providing life skills training as a strategy for keeping youth and children away from drug abuse. The programmes also delivered training of trainers programmes to a set of trainers who would then go on to delivering the life skills training programmes around the country at large.

The Life Skills training programme, targeting drug abuse prevention, represents a novel preventive approach cantered on socio-psychological factors contributing to substance misuse⁹.

In this paper the results and the conclusions and the great experience the organization had of having two life skills training programmes for drug prevention, held at the Vihara Mahadevi Girls College Badulla on 01/11/2023 and Dharmadutha College Badulla 01/11/2023 and on a trainer’s program for drug preventions with life skills as a focus in Sri Lanka held virtually on 27/10/2021 are presented for the case study. 

In the fight against drug abuse, using life skills education as part of prevention strategies is seen as a big success. This approach goes beyond just knowing about drugs and focuses on giving people the skills they need to make good choices. By teaching various skills like how to talk effectively, solve problems, handle stress, and be assertive, we help people deal with life's challenges better. Life skills education also helps people understand themselves better and think critically about how drugs are shown in society and the media. This way, they can make smart choices based on facts, instead of feeling pressured by friends or wrong information.