"Smashed 'n Stoned?" on the International Stage

An ALAC resource for young people is making its presence felt on the international stage.  Countries as diverse as Cameroon, Zambia, Portugal, Chile and Canada have approached ALAC asking for permission to use Smashed n Stoned?.  Sue Paton, Early Intervention Manager says “I put the first booklet on the Global Alcohol Harm Reduction Network a few months ago.  Since then I’ve been approached by clinicians from four African countries, Pakistan, Portugal, Chile and a group of First Nation Canadians asking for permission to use the resource in their mahi.  It is great to think that what we are producing here is perceived as helpful in so many far flung nations.”

“It is interesting that clinicians from other nations are keen to use it because it is a distinctly New Zealand resource that incorporates Te Whare Tapa Wha model of health that focuses on the social, spiritual, whänau aspects of young person as well as personal responsibility.” 

Smashed n Stoned? is an early intervention programme to assist at risk young people to focus on their alcohol and drug use and draw on their own strengths to see they can make choices to improve their health and wellbeing.  It is based on the Guided Self-Change model of working with addiction developed by the Addiction Research Foundation in Toronto.

The programme is motivational, designed to help young person move through stages of change and importantly, non-judgmental, providing a supportive environment where group participants can examine their alcohol and drug use and come to their own conclusions. It provides a framework for setting goals and creating a plan to make positive changes. Smashed n Stoned? is a small group programme for 13-18 year olds with a series of four workbooks.  Young people work through these with the assistance of a counsellor or alcohol and other drug worker “While we’ve pretty much stayed true to the Guided Self-Change model, the input from young people and Darcy Solia’s hip hop style illustrations have helped to give the resource added appeal to young people,” says Sue Paton.  

“When I started at ALAC in 2004, one of my first tasks was to redevelop the original Smashed or Stoned programme” says Sue.  “I was determined to involve young people who had been excluded from school to ensure that the target group participated in its development, and to find a young Māori or Pacific artist.” 

“Early intervention is recognised best practice in working with young people,” she says. “In New Zealand, funding for adolescent alcohol or drug intervention is allocated at the severe/dependent end of the alcohol-related harm continuum and there is limited provision for early intervention.”  The Smashed n Stoned? resource can be used both by alcohol and drug counsellors and also by non-specialist alcohol and drug clinicians such as school counsellors.

Smashed n Stoned? is available from www.alac.org.nz.