Especially when it comes to the welfare of children and families the main goals of Finland’s alcohol and drug policy is to decrease disadvantages caused by alcohol and affect the consumption and distribution of substances. Preventive addiction care aims to affect the intoxicants related knowledge and attitudes as well as decrease demand, supply, and disadvantages of them. Schools are important places to reach children and youth by using drug education and they can organize it independently or in cooperation with other professionals in that field.

The thesis was about the functionality and usefulness of the drug education organized by Kuopio city’s preventive addiction care to Pyörö and Martti Ahtisaari elementary schools’ 3.-6 -graders. The ordering party of the thesis was Kuopio city’s preventive addiction care coordinator Tiina Nykky. The survey took account of both the pupils’ and the teachers’ opinions, so it was possible to consider needs for development in drug education classes. The material for the thesis was gathered with Webropol application. The results of the quantitative survey were analyzed with bar chart. The qualitative elements of the survey mean firstly the voice of the pupils; answers given to the open questions for example related to intoxicants consumption. Second, the qualitative elements of the survey included answers given by the teachers and they were about the possible needs for development in drug education classes. The survey results and the needs for development discussed in the thesis will be given to the Kuopio city’s preventive addiction care and also other operators can benefit from the results.

According to this study most of the subteens consider drug education as a useful matter and about one fifth felt that there could be even more drug education classes. Also, the teachers felt that the drug education classes are useful for the pupils. The teachers wished for parents to participate in conversations, more drug education classes and that there would be more time for different subjects in each drug education class.