D AIRRC had conceived, developed and executed a specific intervention strategy targeted at school children in the sixth standard. This program is based on the fact that merely making students aware of the dangers of drug abuse is not enough to deter them from fatal experimentation with substances of abuse.
Every year the DRUG RESISTANCE EDUCATION program had reached out to over 6000 school children, imparted by 100 trained volunteers. This project was initiated in 1992, with a 100% grant from The Commission of The European Communities. The grant was subsequently continued by The Commission of The European Communities for a further two years under Project Number D-IID-90/44B.
The DAIRRC-Narconon Drug Resistance Education Project in 2002, was a collaboration between DAIRRC and Narconon International, USA, to impart the DAIRRC-Narconon Drug Resistance Education skills among college youth.
Dr Yusuf Merchant initiated the School-based Teenage Education Program in 2002-2003. This was a collaboration between DAIRRC and the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre, USA. STEP is a School-Based Program for HIV Prevention Education in Mumbai, India, and is the Concept for a World AIDS Foundation Study.
The above pilot STEP project was then adapted and finalized to be conducted as a Life skills Training Programme for Social Awareness, including Alcohol and HIV Prevention, amongst 8th / 9th standard students, in a total of 150 schools during the period 2004 - 2008. The project was a collaboration between DAIRRC and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, of Yeshiva University, USA.
The School-based Teenage Education Programme, is based on the premise that "Prevention of Risky Behaviour is more effective than Cure of problems, later in life," and that successful eradication of a lot of Behavioural problems is possible through Preventive Intervention, targeted at children, "before they make a mistake."
