Challenging situations at school can be caused by experimenting or abusing addictive substances. Do you think this only applies to ninth graders? You are wrong. The average age of the first experience with addictive substances gets lower over the years, and the first experiments often occur already at the first level of elementary school. For example, you might have heard children talking about "kid beer". Try to ask what they mean by it; what the beer looks like. And you may find out that they shared a flavoured beer with their mum. But alcohol is not the only addictive substance that pupils can encounter. These include cigarettes, marihuana, pills, crystal meth, molly (it always depends on the social and familial background of the child).

Let’s take a look together what you, as educators, can do in case of suspected addictive substance abuse:

• You cannot test them - it is illegal, even if you have their parents’ consent (pursuant to section 21 of Act no. 65/2017 - on the protection of health from the harmful effects of addictive substances.)
• If you suspect that they drank alcohol – call parents, an ambulance.
• Prevention is key - work not just with children but organise an engaging workshop for parents, too.
• When dealing with long-term issues, cooperate with parents or with the Authority for social and legal protection of children or other bodies (pedagogical and psychological counselling centres, centres for educational care, consulting centres, addiction services).