A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND virtual exhibition has been launched to help parents spot addiction problems among their children during the summer break.
The expo is part of the Interior Ministry’s Ma’an (Together) Programme Against Violence and Addiction which is aimed at raising awareness among parents to be able to detect early warning signs of addiction.
It is based on the US Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E International) programme that seeks to prevent drug use, gang membership and violent behaviour among school students.
The exhibition features audio and video segments in different categories in English and Arabic on the varied types of drugs, psychotropic and other narcotics, and the effect alcohol has on vision.
It also explains how to set up parental controls in PlayStation 5 (PS5) to ensure children are protected from unsuitable content, limiting their online purchases, and monitoring their playtime.
“The idea is to educate parents about addiction – whether its drugs, video games or alcohol – and the big role they have to play responsibly to deal with these issues,” Ma’an general manager Ali Amini told the GDN.
“We wanted to specifically target parents to take part in this virtual exhibition in order for them to be aware about different trends, especially during the summer break, rather than depending on law enforcement personnel.”
The Ma’an programme was launched in 2011 and has covered more than 120,000 students of different age groups in more than 170 public and private schools.
“We have covered about 81 per cent of private and public schools and are on track to include more educational institutes.”
The programme involves community police interacting with students at kindergarten, primary, intermediate, and secondary levels once a week.
This feature is maintained in the virtual exhibition as community police greet visitors and explain about different sections as a user navigates the website.
One of the sections in the exhibition is the “Teen Room” that guides a user to popular hiding spots for drugs commonly used by children in their room.
Drugs are shown concealed in a deodorant spray can, book, sharpener, paper punchers to even an electronic receiver.
“We have analysed all this information based on the cases we have come across,” said Mr Amini.
“We regularly organised physical exhibitions in malls before Covid-19 featuring the same sections that we are showcasing now virtually.”
He added due to Covid-19 limitations they wanted to continue with their awareness drive and worked with a 3D architect to launch the virtual exhibition.
“Even during Covid-19 we pre-recorded our sessions and participated in 39 lessons virtually to ensure children in public and private schools’ benefit from this programme,” said Mr Amini.
A team of more than 100 trainers have been instrumental in cutting down violence, addiction, and negative phenomena by hosting several workshops, lectures, events, and awareness activities over the past few years.
Mr Amini said the trainers address tough questions raised by the students and try to incorporate mock drills and exercises to teach them about challenges they may face in the future.
In January this year, a key agreement was signed between Bahrain’s Ambassador to the US Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa and D.A.R.E International president and chief executive Frank Pegueros relating to the new Ma’an curriculum that includes information and skills on peaceful coexistence and combating extremism.
Earlier this month, Mr Amini was among 1,400 law enforcement officers, educators, and government officials who attended a virtual training conference organised by D.A.R.E. International. “The tragedies of the Covid-19 pandemic throughout the world has had an immense impact on the mental health of our children, and sadly also resulted in a frightening increase in opioid and other substance abuse, increased depression among students, and a dramatic spike in suicide ideation by teens,” Mr Pegueros told the conference.
D.A.R.E was launched in 1983 and is the largest K-12 prevention education programme in the world taught in thousands of schools throughout America and other countries.
For more information about the Ma’an programme contact 17750597.
sandy@gdn.com.bh
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