I volunteer with the Don’t Mess With Drugs Foundation, and I’m trying to understand how to communicate more effectively with people in their twenties.

I know that lectures, scare tactics, and simply saying “drugs are bad” can make people switch off. Young adults deserve honest information and the freedom to make their own decisions. At the same time, I want them to understand the real risks and know where they can find support without being judged.

If you’re in your twenties, what would make you genuinely listen to someone offering advice about drugs? Would personal experiences, factual information, harm-reduction advice, or simply being asked questions work best?

What approaches immediately make you stop listening?

I volunteer with the Don’t Mess With Drugs Foundation, and I’m trying to understand how to communicate more effectively with people in their twenties.

I know that lectures, scare tactics, and simply saying “drugs are bad” can make people switch off. Young adults deserve honest information and the freedom to make their own decisions. At the same time, I want them to understand the real risks and know where they can find support without being judged.

If you’re in your twenties, what would make you genuinely listen to someone offering advice about drugs? Would personal experiences, factual information, harm-reduction advice, or simply being asked questions work best?

What approaches immediately make you stop listening?

I volunteer with the Don’t Mess With Drugs Foundation, and I’m trying to understand how to communicate more effectively with people in their twenties.

I know that lectures, scare tactics, and simply saying “drugs are bad” can make people switch off. Young adults deserve honest information and the freedom to make their own decisions. At the same time, I want them to understand the real risks and know where they can find support without being judged.

If you’re in your twenties, what would make you genuinely listen to someone offering advice about drugs? Would personal experiences, factual information, harm-reduction advice, or simply being asked questions work best?

What approaches immediately make you stop listening?

I volunteer with the Don’t Mess With Drugs Foundation, and I’m trying to understand how to communicate more effectively with people in their twenties.

I know that lectures, scare tactics, and simply saying “drugs are bad” can make people switch off. Young adults deserve honest information and the freedom to make their own decisions. At the same time, I want them to understand the real risks and know where they can find support without being judged.

If you’re in your twenties, what would make you genuinely listen to someone offering advice about drugs? Would personal experiences, factual information, harm-reduction advice, or simply being asked questions work best?

What approaches immediately make you stop listening?

I volunteer with the Don’t Mess With Drugs Foundation, and I’m trying to understand how to communicate more effectively with people in their twenties.

I know that lectures, scare tactics, and simply saying “drugs are bad” can make people switch off. Young adults deserve honest information and the freedom to make their own decisions. At the same time, I want them to understand the real risks and know where they can find support without being judged.

If you’re in your twenties, what would make you genuinely listen to someone offering advice about drugs? Would personal experiences, factual information, harm-reduction advice, or simply being asked questions work best?

What approaches immediately make you stop listening?

What Actually Helps Prevent Drug Misuse Among Young People?

Disclosure: This post is shared to encourage general discussion about drug prevention approaches in young people. It is not intended to promote any organisation, service, or external resource.

Drug misuse can affect more than the person taking the substance. It can also affect families, friendships, schools, sporting clubs, workplaces and local communities.

Prevention is often discussed only after someone has experienced a crisis. A more effective approach is to give young people practical information, positive support and opportunities to ask honest questions before serious harm occurs.

Drug Education Needs to Be Practical

Simply telling young people that drugs are dangerous is unlikely to be enough.

Effective drug education should help people understand:

• How to respond to peer pressure
• The risks associated with unknown substances
• The dangers of misusing prescription medication
• The risks of performance-enhancing substances
• How drug use may affect mental and physical health
• How present decisions may affect education, employment and sporting goals
• How to support a friend who may be struggling
• Where to find qualified professional help

Young people are more likely to engage when they can ask questions without immediately being judged or humiliated.

Prevention should be honest about the risks while recognising that people may encounter drugs for many different reasons, including curiosity, social pressure, stress, isolation, personal difficulties or pressure to perform.

The Role of Schools and Sporting Clubs

Schools and sporting clubs are important environments for drug-prevention education.

These are places where young people build relationships, develop confidence and learn how their choices affect other people.

They can also be environments where young people experience pressure to fit in, perform better or hide personal difficulties.

Drug-prevention education in these settings may cover peer pressure, decision-making, drug misuse and performance-enhancing substances.

Programs should not rely only on fear or slogans. They should give participants useful information that can be applied in real situations.

Supporting Young Sportspeople

Sport can provide discipline, purpose, friendship and a sense of belonging.

However, some athletes may feel pressure to improve quickly, recover from injuries or meet expectations from coaches, teammates, family members and supporters.

That pressure may make performance-enhancing drugs, stimulants, painkillers or other substances appear attractive.

Drug misuse may affect an athlete’s:

• Physical health
• Mental wellbeing
• Training consistency
• Sporting eligibility
• Team relationships
• Education and employment
• Long-term opportunities

Young athletes should be encouraged to seek advice from qualified medical and sporting professionals before using supplements, medications or performance-related substances.

A possible short-term advantage is not worth risking long-term health or a sporting future.

Mentoring and Positive Role Models

Information alone does not always change behaviour.

A young person may understand that a decision is risky but still make it because they feel isolated, pressured or uncertain about their future.

Positive mentors can help young people:

• Set realistic goals
• Develop confidence
• Think through difficult decisions
• Find constructive activities
• Understand the consequences of risky behaviour
• Identify appropriate support services
• Feel less isolated

Mentoring is not a replacement for medical care, counselling or specialist drug treatment. Its purpose is to provide guidance, encouragement and a positive community connection.

Prevention Without Condemnation

The message “Don’t Mess With Drugs” is about protecting people and their futures. It should not be used to condemn people who are already experiencing problems with drug use.

Shame can discourage people from being honest or asking for assistance.

Effective prevention should combine personal responsibility with compassion. People need to understand that choices can have serious consequences, but they should also know that making a mistake does not remove their right to seek help.

Someone affected by drug misuse may need:

• Qualified medical care
• Mental-health support
• Drug and alcohol treatment
• Stable accommodation
• Family support
• Mentoring
• Practical community assistance

Supporting someone does not mean accepting dangerous behaviour. It means combining appropriate boundaries and accountability with dignity and access to professional help.

The Importance of Community Involvement

Preventing drug misuse is not the responsibility of one group or organisation.

Families, schools, sporting clubs, health professionals, businesses, community organisations and government services all have a role.

Communities can contribute by:

• Encouraging honest conversations
• Supporting evidence-informed education
• Training adults to recognise warning signs
• Creating safe pathways for young people to request help
• Connecting schools and clubs with qualified services
• Providing properly supervised mentoring
• Supporting people experiencing hardship or isolation
• Challenging misinformation without humiliating people

What Makes a Prevention Program Credible?

Organisations working with young people should be willing to answer reasonable questions.

Before participating in or supporting a program, communities may want to ask:

• Who delivers the program?
• What experience or qualifications do they have?
• How is the content adapted for different age groups?
• What safeguarding procedures are followed?
• How are volunteers selected and supervised?
• Where are participants referred for professional help?
• How does the organisation evaluate its programs?
• How is feedback or criticism handled?

Transparency strengthens community trust.

Drug-prevention programs are more credible when they are clear about what they can provide and when they work alongside qualified health, education and community professionals when specialist support is required.

Starting Better Conversations

Silence does not protect young people.

Neither do exaggerated warnings that young people may recognise as unrealistic.

A more constructive approach combines accurate information, responsible decision-making, supportive relationships and clear pathways to professional assistance.

The aim should not be only to tell people that drugs are harmful. It should be to help young people understand risks, respond to pressure, protect their future and ask for help before a difficult situation becomes a crisis.

What drug-prevention approaches have worked in your school, sporting club or local community? What approaches have been ineffective?

I volunteer with the Don’t Mess With Drugs Foundation, and I’m trying to understand how to communicate with people in their twenties more effectively.

I know that lectures, scare tactics, and simply saying “drugs are bad” can make people switch off. Young adults deserve honest information and the freedom to make their own decisions. At the same time, I want them to understand the real risks and know where they can find support without being judged.

If you’re in your twenties, what would make you genuinely listen to someone offering advice about drugs? Would personal experiences, factual information, harm-reduction advice, or simply being asked questions work best?

What approaches immediately make you stop listening?

I volunteer with the Don’t Mess With Drugs Foundation, and I’m trying to understand how to communicate with people in their twenties more effectively.

I know that lectures, scare tactics, and simply saying “drugs are bad” can make people switch off. Young adults deserve honest information and the freedom to make their own decisions. At the same time, I want them to understand the real risks and know where they can find support without being judged.

If you’re in your twenties, what would make you genuinely listen to someone offering advice about drugs? Would personal experiences, factual information, harm-reduction advice, or simply being asked questions work best?

What approaches immediately make you stop listening?

I’m especially interested in honest answers—even critical ones. These are my personal questions as a volunteer, not an official statement from the Program