New prevention website engages youth

Net-savvy youngsters have an innovative new place to learn about the effects of illicit drugs.

Xperiment.ca is a new prevention website developed by the Canadian Center for Substance Abuse (CCSA) in consultation with key partners of the Media/Youth Consortium, a national cooperative of media, marketing, communications, youth service, and drug-prevention experts.

Xperiment.ca  uses “Earl the Eyeball” to let young people experience the effects of drug use in a virtual environment, without having to suffer any of the negative physical or social consequences of actual use. The site currently deals with marijuana, cocaine and ecstasy, but future expansion will cover the full gamut of illicit drugs.  

Visitors to Xperiment.ca  meet Earl in a realistic video-game setting and hear a narrator who warns, “Earl will be harmed today, but only so you don’t have to be.”  Navigators can choose which drugs to learn about and take an interactive role in helping Earl take a drag, snort a line, or pop a pill.

Not only educational, the site also includes some games with Earl, like Earl “Pong” and one that challenges memory.

The Addictionary section  provides more information on specific drugs, including descriptions, effects, and social and legal implications. The First Aid section provides resources for getting help. The Real Deal, Xperiment.ca’s e-newsletter, will be distributed regularly with news and information. 

Educators and drug-prevention experts have long known that “Just Say No” rarely works, and scare mongering is ineffective in engaging youth in drug prevention. With Xperiment.ca, drug information is presented through a neutral lens, without preaching negative messages about drug use.

Significant testing through youth surveys and focus groups guided development of the Xperiment.ca concept. Youth said that learning about drugs through virtual experimentation was relevant and appealing; that it balances the seriousness of the issue with interaction and exploration; and that it makes the goal of prevention clear.

When concepts were tested with youth, they confirmed that they didn’t want to be simply told not to do drugs. Youngsters know that drugs can be harmful, but they are also fully aware that people use them nonetheless. Surveys showed that youth would be interested in learning and making their own choices, rather than being “preached to.” 

The Media/Youth Consortium is one of three approaches used by A Drug Prevention Strategy for Canada’s Youth to address illicit drug use by Canadians aged 10-24. The Consortium aims to effectively engage, educate, and empower Canadian youth through the development and communication of consistent, evidence-based, drug-prevention messages.

Xperiment.ca is the first initiative created by the Consortium, and it has a clear goal: to provide Canadian youth with facts about drugs and their related harms so that they are prepared to make informed choices.

Click HERE to meet Earl at Xperiment.ca