Moscow Materials: useful habits

In 1998 drug education teaching materials for use in Moscow schools were published under the title Useful Habits. The production of these materials formed part of a long-term drug education project by Project HOPE. There has been increasing official recognition of drug and alcohol use in post-1991 Russia. A 1997 Drug Use Survey of 1000 10-15-year-olds in North Moscow schools, which formed part of Project HOPE’s work, showed an established use of tobacco and alcohol, high use of inhalants and some use of other substances, prescribed and illegal, by the age of 15. The teaching materials have been produced by local practitioners informed by ‘Western’ content and methodology. The materials were evaluated at first draft stage by an English-speaking external consultant to monitor appropriateness for age group, consistency, skills’ content; and to assist in designing a training programme. The consultancy report confirmed the importance of skills content and active learning methodology. A survey of student users .