Successful cannabis prevention at Offenbach schools: Expansion of services

A cannabis prevention project was carried out at various schools in Offenbach in order to strengthen addiction prevention in schools and thus prevent damage to health caused by cannabis use among young people. Initiated and implemented by the Wildhof addiction support center in close cooperation with the Offenbach City Health Department, the project has already reached hundreds of pupils in 2024/2025 and raised their awareness of the issue. The essential funding of 59,250 euros to date from the Sicheres Offenbach association is what makes this important prevention work possible in the first place.

"My special thanks go to the Sicheres Offenbach association, whose funding provides the basis for this important work, as well as the Wildhof addiction support center for the dedicated implementation of this valuable initiative," emphasizes Dr. Christiane Faust, Head of the Offenbach Health Department.

At the start of the 2024 project, 30 workshops were held at schools in Offenbach, directly reaching a total of over 550 pupils aged between 14 and 20. In the workshops, the pupils learn relevant content about the Cannabis Consumption Act and take a critical look at the use of cannabis. In addition, the young people are informed about the possible dangers and risks of cannabis use in an interactive, playful and age-appropriate way. The positive response and high demand from schools underlined the urgent need for this type of prevention work. This led to a significant expansion of the offerings in 2025, in which a further 46 workshops were offered and over 1,000 young people were reached.

A key success factor for the project is the close cooperation between all those involved and the establishment of strategic partnerships. This not only improved access to the schools, but also meant that the health department was able to successfully transfer the tried-and-tested cannabis prevention program to the youth welfare office's "method kit" - an important step towards establishing fixed structures and making the program permanent. The "method kit" was created over 20 years ago on behalf of the Förderverein Sicheres Offenbach and provides schools with a good orientation for prevention work. Schools can choose from a wide range of courses and workshops and apply for funding from the youth welfare office.

Public relations work and the strategic orientation of addiction prevention in Offenbach have also been significantly strengthened by the establishment of an "Addiction Prevention Round Table". This was initiated by Wildhof and is coordinated and moderated by the City of Offenbach's health department. This important committee met twice in 2025 and brings together stakeholders such as the youth welfare office, public order office, state education authority, health department, Wildhof and representatives of the police.

"We are delighted with the success and immense response that our prevention work has had at Offenbach schools," explains Kim Schön, board member of the Wildhof addiction support center. "This underlines the urgent need for education and support for young people in dealing with cannabis. The close cooperation with our partners, in particular the public health department and the youth welfare office, is crucial for this positive development."

The common goal of the Round Table is to support, structure and expand drug prevention services and structures in Offenbach. The successful incorporation of the cannabis prevention project into the method case already represents the first concrete success of this collaboration.

The successful measures are to be continued in 2026. The "Addiction Prevention Round Table" will continue its work, with a first meeting in January 2026. The aim is also to continue cannabis prevention at schools in Offenbach and to reach as many pupils as possible once again. The plan is to offer over 40 workshops again, for which numerous requests from schools have already been received.

The regular joint meetings with the relevant offices of the City of Offenbach will continue to be an integral part of the cooperation strategy in order to secure and further develop the prevention work in the long term. In addition to prevention work in schools, special attention will also be paid in future to young people who are particularly at risk or already using drugs.