Substance Use and Harm Reduction

Education about substance use is essential to help students develop the necessary skills and knowledge to make healthier choices. Successful substance use prevention education for young people provides age-appropriate, factual and non-judgmental information and helps students develop social competence, and relationship and communication skills.

If you are looking for tips on how to address certain issues or topics, please complete the school health request form.

Educator resources

Found sharps and needles

Students should be made aware to never touch a discarded sharp or needle. Instead, they should go to a trusted adult for help. Adults can ensure discarded sharp objects are safely collected and disposed of by following the directions on the Found sharps and needles webpage.

Harm reduction

Harm reduction education helps students understand ways to reduce the health and social harms associated with substance use. It includes age-appropriate teaching about the substance use health spectrum, strategies to reduce potential harms, and information on available supports and services.

For secondary students, harm reduction education may also include teaching about naloxone, its role in reversing an opioid overdose, and where to get free naloxone kits.

Smoking and vaping

Lungs are for Life | Canadian Lung Association. Evidence-based resource for Ontario educators to help students learn more about about the dangers of smoking and vaping so they can make healthy and informed decisions.
Not an Experiment | Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. Website that provides youth and educators with information about the health effects of vaping, industry influences, and more. Includes classroom and school-wide resources for elementary and secondary educators.
Stop Vaping Challenge | University of Toronto. Hub for interventions to help youth and young adults stop vaping e-cigarettes. Includes a youth-oriented vaping education workshop designed to empower young individuals with knowledge and tools to make healthier decisions in the future. There is also a Stop Vaping Challenge app that helps teens reflect on their vaping behaviours through an abstinence challenge.
Students Together Moving to Prevent Substance Use (STOMP) | PHE Canada. Program that takes a comprehensive approach to curb substance use among youth, including smoking, vaping, cannabis, and alcohol use, by targeting the grade 7 to 12 student population and its unique characteristics, norms and needs directly. Resources include student and school kits.
Quash | Lung Health Foundation. App to help people quit smoking or vaping. A free certificate training (self-guided, online) equips adults to deliver the Quash smoking and vaping cessation program to youth in their communities.
Vaping Education Resources | Ophea. Provide educators with capacity building tools and conversation starter prompts to support grade 4 to 8 students in developing the knowledge and skills needed to make informed decisions to support their health and well-being. Resources include Instructional Moments videos and Educator Guide, Conversation Starter videos, and tip sheets.

Substance use

New! Cannabis Use Prevention Educator Resource Guide | Huron Perth Public Health. Designed to complement educators’ existing work by aligning with curriculum expectations and classroom practice in grades 4 to 8.
Cannabis Education Resources | Ophea. Provide educators and administrators access to evidence-informed information on substance use (specifically cannabis) to help students in grades 1 to 12 develop the knowledge and skills needed to make informed decisions to support their health and well-being. Resources include Cannabis Education Activity Plans for elementary and secondary students, a Q&A column series, and a resource database.
Connect Quest | School Mental Health Ontario. Activities to help support students in healthy choices about substances.
Health Canada Experiences | Health Canada. Ready-to-deliver substance use prevention programs for various ages. Includes Pursue your Passion for grades 7/8 on cannabis and the brain and Think Ahead for grades 11/12. This page also has great resources for caregivers.
Healthy Choices: Substance Use and Digital Safety Modules for Grade 6 | School Mental Health Ontario. Implementation tools for school and system leaders to to enhance the delivery of the Ministry of Education’s new learning modules on substance use health and digital media safety
iMinds | Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research. Collection of resources for schools that encourage students to develop substance and gambling literacy and understand substance use and gambling in the real world. Designed to support BC Ministry of Education curricula, but adaptable and available for use in Canadian schools.
My Brain, My Choice | Huron Perth Public Health. Three-session program for grade 6 students designed to delay or prevent substance use in youth. Teachers will be provided resources to guide discussion of youth perceptions of substances, and support learning about addiction and the impact substances such as nicotine have on the developing brain. Students will be encouraged to think critically about media and peer influences, and practice strategies to navigate peer pressure situations. Follow-up resources can be shared with parents/caregivers to reinforce key messages from the program.
- My Brain, My Choice is a physical kit with digital resources. To request My Brain, My Choice please complete the school health request form.
Substance use prevention | School Mental Health Ontario. Information for schools on how to support students in substance use prevention and intervention.
Understanding Substance Use: Educator's Guide | Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. Contains resources and information to help educators learn about substance use and harm reduction, which can help promote well-being and reduce substance-related harms in young people.