An Evaluation of an Awareness-Enhancement Program on the Consequences of Cannabis Use Among Vocational Certificate Students at a Vocational College in Buriram Province

Abstract

Background: Thai society plays a crucial role in preventing children and youth from accessing cannabis in all forms, including food products and narcotic substances. Providing accurate information on the advantages and disadvantages, benefits and harms, and potential risks of cannabis use is essential. Strengthening awareness, offering guidance, and supplying correct information can help build immunity and informed decision-making among young people.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a program designed to enhance awareness of the consequences of cannabis use among Vocational Certificate students at a vocational college in Buri Ram Province.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study employed a two-group, pre-test/post-test design. The sample consisted of 102 Vocational Certificate students aged 16–18 years who were enrolled at a vocational college in Buriram Province. Participants were purposively selected and divided into two groups: an experimental group (n = 51) and a control group (n = 51). The research instruments included a cannabis consequence awareness-enhancement program and a knowledge questionnaire. Data were collected from August 2023 to July 2024.
Results: The majority of the experimental group demonstrated a high level of overall cannabis-related knowledge, accounting for 66.7% (2.57±0.671), indicating a strong awareness of the consequences of cannabis use as a result of the program. In the control group, 43.1% achieved a high level of knowledge (2.34±0.849). When comparing the mean knowledge scores about cannabis between the experimental and control groups after participating in the program, the experimental group had a mean score of 2.57, while the control group had a mean score of 2.34. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05).
Conclusions: The awareness-enhancement program developed for Vocational Certificate students effectively increased knowledge and awareness of the consequences of cannabis use among participants in the experimental group. The program achieved its intended goals and can be applied by educational personnel in other vocational colleges within Buriram Province, as well as integrated into special instructional activities within relevant curricula.