Preventing Smoking, Alcohol and Internet addictions among children and adolescents: a family oriented training approach for adult learners and educators Erasmus Project

Project Title

Preventing Smoking, Alcohol and Internet addictions among children and adolescents: a family oriented training approach for adult learners and educators

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Research and innovation; Health and wellbeing

Project Summary

Addiction to smoking, alcohol and internet are a common transnational problem, the extent and determinants of which know no boundaries in Europe. Addictive behaviors are high across the EU, especially among children and adolescents in disadvantaged groups contributing to widening health related inequalities regardless of MS or region. Evidence supporting the importance of prevention concerns all MS, as does the importance of family and school as the most crucial protective factors of addictive behaviors among youth. Children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to smoking, alcohol and internet addiction, a new understudied phenomenon raising concerns and requiring urgent attention. Internet addiction does not have the same social stigma as other addictions. Nevertheless, there are commonalities between tobacco, alcohol and internet abuse: wide availability, common causes such as childhood initiation, social deprivation and exclusion, poor access to education, problematic family and school environments, mental health effects. Although sharing common causes, adult training addressing these three addictions altogether is yet to be developed.

The ADD-freeTraining project will design and implement innovative training on the prevention of tobacco, alcohol and internet abuse in children/adolescents. Target groups are adult learners, including but not limited to parents from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, teachers, and adult educators including youth workers, parent association representatives and relevant service providers. The project promotes a family-centered approach to prevention, simultaneously addressing the school and wider social context and promoting healthy interaction within the family, school, peers and society. The coexistence of parents, teachers and adult educators in a common training environment will facilitate communication and exchange through experiential activities.

The ADD-freeTraining objectives:
1. Develop and evaluate an interactive training curriculum on evidence based methods for alcohol, smoking and internet addiction prevention, reflecting the needs of adult learners, teachers and educators
2. Increase adult learners’, teachers’ and educators’ awareness and skills on relevant addiction prevention emphasizing the need for active parental involvement, skills in social competence and school based interventions.
3. Enhance partner capabilities to develop and deliver relevant training.
4. Increase awareness of communities, organizations, and other stakeholders on addictions and the new training.

The project will train over 18 staff members and 155 participants through face-to-face training and the Interactive Webplatform. Through the multiplier events over 160 participants will be approached and through the dissemination an audience of over 1,000 stakeholders will be reached.
Six partners from Croatia, Serbia, Greece, Cyprus, and Bulgaria facing common challenges in youth addictions will work towards achieving the project objectives. In order to ensure high quality, training will be based on a review of existing training opportunities and participatory research among target groups to determine knowledge gaps and training needs. The resulting evidence-based training package will include diverse training tools aimed to improve relevant knowledge and skills. Common and specialized modules will be developed for all target groups. Training will focus on addiction principles, common underlining causes of alcohol, smoking and internet addiction and prevention strategies focusing on family and school based approaches. It will be delivered through face-to-face training and an Interactive Web platform, applications and digital learning tools. The “Training Adaptation Toolkit” will provide guidelines for adult educators on how to develop relevant training for adult learners. Multiplier transnational/national events will enhance knowledge exchange. Dissemination will target service providers and relevant authorities at local/regional level, adult learning providers, academic institutions, addiction related organizations, parental organizations, school representatives, government services and policymakers at national/European level.
Upon completion increased awareness about knowledge gaps and needs of adult learners in relation to smoking, alcohol and internet addictions will be achieved. The newly developed training will increase adult learners’, teachers’ and educators’ competences in regards to prevention of alcohol, smoking and internet addiction. Important issues, such as the need for active parental involvement, skills in social competence, and relative school based interventions will also be promoted, while providing ready-to-use related training. By increasing adult learners’, teachers’ and educators’ skills in addiction prevention, the ADD-freeTraining envisions in the long term to promote the health and the well-being of children and adolescents in Europe.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 279074 Eur

Project Coordinator

IDRYMA ORMYLIA & Country: EL

Project Partners

• PROLEPSIS Civil Law Non Profit Organization of Preventive Environmental and Occupational Medicine
• Bulgaria Youth Prevention
• INSTITUT DRUSTVENIH ZNANOSTI IVO PILAR
• CSI CENTER FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION LTD
• UNIVERZITET U BEOGRADU