We were asked by Cockshut Hill College to deliver a health event stand for Year 7, 8 and 9 students which focussed on the impact of drugs, smoking and gambling.
Throughout the course of the 2 hour health event, we interacted with approximately 650 students. Some briefly passed by the stand, whilst others stopped to partake in the activities we had taken along.
The drug impairment goggles and hands were particularly popular with the students, as these gave them an idea of how using drugs impacts on your ability to undertake basic tasks. The Wheel of Misfortune game was also well-received, and it provided an opportunity for students to test their existing knowledge on drugs as well as give their personal responses to different scenarios where drugs are involved.
We took various interactive resources to illustrate the effect smoking has on our health and wellbeing. This included the smoking goggles, which show the impact smoking can have on eyesight, the Smokey Joe quiz and the foul mouth model. All of which introduced some interesting conversations with the students.
To emphasise the impact of gambling addiction, we took the One Arm Bandit machine, and encouraged students to ‘play’ the machine whilst we had a conversation with them. From this, we could then demonstrate the amount of money they had wasted in the machine, and explain the financial, emotional and physical consequences of gambling.
We also networked with a representative from another organisation, who was interested in our work surrounding gambling awareness. He stated there was a huge problem with slot machine gambling in the area, and was pleased that we were focussing on the impact gambling addiction has on the individual and relationships with other people.
Our health event stands are an excellent way of engaging informally with a large number of students. Contact our Development Officers today to find out how we can support your school or college today!