Are Teenagers Also Vulnerable to Drugs?... Why Seocho-gu Rolled Up Its Sleeves to Block Drug Access

[Seoul District News] Seocho-gu Strengthens 'Visiting Drug Abuse Prevention Education' to Raise Awareness of Drug Addiction Risks Among Youth ▲Introduction to Drug Hallucinogens ▲Addictiveness, Risks, and Harm Cases of Drugs ▲Illegal Medicine Buyer Punishment System Guidance ▲Drug Crime Victim Prevention Education to Raise Awareness ... Nowon-gu to Hold High School Admission Academy on Oct 17 with Themes of High School Credit System and High School Selection

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] # “Students~ Commonly seen on SNS, ‘weight loss pills,’ ‘study-enhancing pills,’ and the like are addictive drugs that should never be used recklessly without expert guidance.”

# “Especially during adolescence, even a single use of addictive drugs can easily lead to dependency, causing physical and mental harm and eventually drug addiction. Absolutely no drugs.”

Seocho-gu rolled up its sleeves to block drug access that has seeped into the daily lives of teenagers and to protect their healthy future.

Seocho-gu (Mayor Jeon Seong-su) is strengthening the ‘Visiting Drug Abuse Prevention Education’ to raise awareness of the dangers of drug addiction and prevent it, targeting upper-grade elementary, middle, and high school students in the district.

This initiative was prepared in response to the lowering age of drug exposure due to the widespread use of smartphone apps and SNS, and the annual increase in youth drug addiction.

Accordingly, Seocho-gu decided to significantly enhance the content that raises awareness among youth about the dangers of drug use in the ‘Medication Misuse Prevention Education’ that has been ongoing since February.

Specifically, the strengthened content includes, in addition to the existing safe medication use education, ▲ introduction to easily accessible drugs and hallucinogens in daily life ▲ addictive nature, risks, and harmful cases of drugs ▲ information on penalties for illegal drug purchasers ▲ education on preventing drug-related crimes.

Seocho-gu plans to conduct the enhanced education for about 3,900 students at 10 schools, including Bangil Elementary, Seocho High, and Naegok Middle, by the end of the year.

Along with this, Seocho-gu will continue to carry out illegal drug eradication campaigns around subway stations, apartment complexes, and school areas in cooperation with related organizations such as the Seoul Drug Eradication Movement Headquarters until the end of the year.

Also, as there have been recent media reports of teenagers using prescribed narcotic painkillers for hallucination purposes through trading, special inspections will be conducted on the top 20 medical institutions with the highest narcotic prescriptions in the area.

Seocho-gu Mayor Jeon Seong-su said, “We will continue to carry out various preventive activities to protect our youth from drug addiction and medication misuse, striving to safeguard the lives and health of children and all residents.”

Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it will hold a Career and Academic Advancement Academy focused on high school admission.

This Career and Academic Advancement Academy is differentiated from existing lectures and counseling by targeting elementary and middle school students and their parents who need information on high school admission. High school is an important stage that greatly influences future career paths such as university admission or employment, but until now, lectures and counseling have been heavily focused on college entrance exams, which have been the most demanded by users.

The academy will be held on November 10 and 17 from 7 PM to 9 PM at the Nowon Education Platform’s large lecture hall. It will also be broadcast live on the district’s official YouTube channel, ‘Nowon-gu Office Mihongssi.’

The lecture topics are ▲ November 10: Understanding changes in the curriculum due to the introduction of the high school credit system (Lee Beom-seok, Education Researcher at the Education Research Information Center) ▲ November 17: High school selection guide considering career and academic advancement (Kim Jin-woo, Education Researcher at the Education Research Information Center), providing broad information on high school admission.

Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis for 55 people per lecture, with priority given to Nowon-gu residents or students and parents within the district. Up to two accompanying persons can apply on the Nowon Education Platform website, and multiple applications are allowed. Watching via YouTube does not require a separate application.

Additionally, the Nowon Education Platform offers 1:1 customized learning design and career and academic counseling for students from 5th grade elementary to 3rd grade high school and their parents. They can explore the meaning and purpose of studying, proper study methods, the impact of parent-child relationships on studying, high school and university/department selection, and receive tailored study methods and career counseling to assist with entrance exam preparation.

One-on-one counseling is also available for 1st and 2nd grade high school students to help with school life counseling and understanding and analyzing school records for college entrance preparation. The district expects this to be especially helpful for students applying through comprehensive student record screening.

Moreover, for parents of elementary to middle school 2nd graders, 1:1 customized reading counseling and small group reading workshops are provided to improve children’s reading and literacy skills. Parents can learn about their role in helping children grow into kids who enjoy reading and seek books on their own.

One-on-one customized counseling can be applied for on the Nowon Education Platform website, with each session lasting 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, through the expanded operation of the Nowon Education Platform, the district conducted over 2,500 career and academic programs in 2022 alone, collaborating with educational institutions (schools, out-of-school youth support centers, etc.) to provide visiting entrance exam briefings and counseling. Priority reservations and learning support are provided for socially disadvantaged families and students below basic academic levels to care for vulnerable groups.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “The Nowon Education Platform contributes to reducing educational disparities and cutting private education costs by providing career and academic consulting and various up-to-date educational information. We will continue to expand career and academic counseling to actively support nurturing creative talents through self-directed learning.”