Safety First

Stanford REACH Lab’s Safety First is a free and online curriculum consisting of 15 lessons, each to be completed in a 45- to 50-minute class period. Each lesson is designed to engage students in honest conversations about drugs overall and specific categories of drugs and to provide harm reduction strategies through interactive activities such as discussions and role-playing. The curriculum is aligned with National Health Education Standards as well as Common Core State Standards so it can beintegrated into Health classes.

Last reviewed: 2023

Intended Outcomes:

  • Encourage youth not to use drugs in the first place
  • Encourage youth who are already using to stop or at least cut back or make alternative choices to reduce their risk
  • Provide straightforward; science-based information
  • Explore the risks and perceived benefits of drugs
  • Prioritize safety through personal responsibility and knowledge

Continuum of Care:
Selective Prevention

Topic Areas:
Behavioral Health/Mental Health, Substance Use

Ages:
Teen/Adolescent (13-18)

Geographic Locations:
Rural, Urban

Delivery Settings:
Community-Based, School-Based

Cultural Considerations:

Audience:
Safety First is meant for high school students. This curriculum is particularly relevant for students already using, for students at-risk for using, and/or for students living in communities in which there are high levels of drug use. The curriculum is designed to be used in classrooms or group settings.

Credentials:
This curriculum can be facilitated by anyone and has no credential requirements. However, the program is typically implemented by classroom teachers and educators.

Manuals:

Is Training Required?
No

Who can provide the required training?
For more information, please reach out to bonnieh@stanford.edu or sgerbert@stanford.edu.

Program Costs (materials, training, etc.):
No

Program/Practice Website:
https://med.stanford.edu/halpern-felsher-reach-lab/preventions-interventions/Safety-First.html

Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research:

Unable to be Rated

WV Rating:
Unable to Be Rated
»WV Ratings Info

Rationale for Rating:

This program was unable to be rated due to a lack of research. Reviewers reached out to program developers who shared that they are currently working on research for this program.

Contraindications or Concerns:
None identified

Other Registries/Ratings

The California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare:
Not On Registry

Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development:
Not On Registry

Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness:
Not On Registry

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Model Programs Guide:
Not On Registry

Washington State Institute for Public Policy:
Not On Registry