Substance Abuse Refusal Skills

Substance Abuse
Refusal Skills
www.mygroupguide.com
PURPOSE OF GROUP: to learn and practice drug/alcohol refusal skills
MATERIALS NEEDED: pens/pencils for each group member

piece of paper for each group member
print p. 4 of guide; cut out each scenario
1.
-Facilitator can open group by telling group members that they will be learning substance
abuse refusal skills today.
-Refusal skills are strategies that help you say “no” when you are in situations in which
you are offered or tempted by drugs/alcohol
-You can ask group members, “Why are refusal skills important to learn?”
-They are important because peer pressure can lead to relapse!
a. It’s imperative that you are prepared for situations in which you are offered
drugs/alcohol or you are surrounded by people who are using/drinking
b. These types of situations are stressful, and you may experience cravings, so it
is helpful to have a plan in place
c. The more you practice saying “no”, the more prepared you are for the “real
world”!
-You’ll obviously want to do your best to avoid high-risk situations, but it’s inevitable
that you are going to run into an old friend or be in a situation in which you are
tempted…
2.
-The following are drug refusal skills & techniques:
-Say “no” immediately!
a. Do not stumble or hesitate. You can make it the very first word that comes out
of your mouth!
-Be clear and firm- no means no!
a. Avoid statements such as, “Not today” or “Maybe later”
b. Avoid excuses, such as “My girlfriend will get upset” or “I have to get to work
early tomorrow”
c. Be assertive (not aggressive!)
-Suggest an alternative, such as something else to drink
-Change the subject if you feel uncomfortable
-If the person persists with their offer, tell them to stop!
a. If you are uncomfortable with this, you can try repeating the same short
statement (i.e. “No thanks, I don’t want anything”) - eventually, they will get the
message!
-If you start to question yourself, just remember why you are saying no in the first place!
a. Why are you trying to remain sober? Who would you be letting down if you
said “yes”? What could happen if you said “yes”?
*You can ask group members to come up with more refusal skills & techniques
-As mentioned earlier, it’s very important to be firm. You don’t want to leave the door open!
-For example, if you tell someone, “Maybe later” or, “I have to get to work early
tomorrow”, you are just leaving the door open for them to ask you about using/drinking
the next time they see you…
3. Group members will now participate in role-plays to practice refusal skills.

*Ask for volunteers to participate in the role-plays. Scenarios are listed on p. 4 of this
guide. You can choose the scenarios that are appropriate for your age group. The
volunteers can add more details to the scenarios
*After each role-play, encourage group members to give feedback
3a. After the role-plays, you can ask the volunteers (who were using the refusal skills) the
following questions:
-How did you feel during the role-play?
-How effective do you think you were? Did you feel like your message was being heard?
4. Group members will now participate in an activity in which they will further practice refusal
skills.
*Give each group member a pen/pencil & piece of paper. Ask them to write down some
situations in which they might be offered drugs/alcohol. Then, ask them to write down
how they would respond to the situations
-Example:
a. Situation: My old drinking buddy, Mike, will likely call me to go to the bar with
him when football season starts again
b. My response: I don’t drink anymore. I’ll be watching the game at my house-
you are welcome to come over, but I won’t be serving any alcohol
*Allow group members to share what they write down
*If you have time, you can do more role-plays using their scenarios
4a. After the activity, you can ask group members, “What do you think the biggest challenge
will be when you try these refusal skills in the ‘real world’?”
5. Facilitator can conclude group by encouraging group members to come up with at least one
“go-to” response they can use when declining alcohol/drugs.
-It might help to have something prepared ahead of time, especially if you’re not used
to saying “no”
-It can be something short, such as, “No thanks. I don’t want anything” or it can be
something a little more detailed, such as, “No thanks. I’ve stopped completely for health
reasons”
*Allow group members to share the “go-to” response(s) they’ve come up with
Role-Play Scenarios
*You’re at a party, and some of your friends are playing a drinking game.
Someone leaves the game, and one of your friends keeps asking you to come take
their place.
*You’re at a restaurant, and your date asks you to drink with them. Shortly after,
the waiter reads the drink specials and asks what you two are having. Even after
you just ask for water, your date tries to order you a drink.
*You’re hanging out with some of your friends at a house. They’re all smoking
weed, and they want you to join.
*You run into someone you used to use with. They invite you to go out with them
later.
*You’re playing “truth or dare” with your friends. They dare you to take some of
the pills in your parents’ medicine cabinet.
*One of your classmates is telling you to ditch your last class and get high with
him/her outside school.

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Substance Abuse

PURPOSE OF GROUP: to learn and practice drug/alcohol refusal skills

MATERIALS NEEDED: pens/pencils for each group member

3. Group members will now participate in role-plays to practice refusal skills.

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