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Quotes & Testimonials

Young person

Czech Republic

Young person

Czech Republic

1) In the classroom, I felt quite a bit of pressure. It was difficult for me to open up about these topics in front of everyone, even with the teacher’s support. But I went through the resources by myself later on the learning platform. Being able to go through the modules at my own pace and in private was exactly what I needed. I actually learned quite a lot and realized that I’m not the only one feeling this way.

Youth worker

Czech Republic

Youth worker

Czech Republic

2) I’m almost jealous of the space these young people have now. When I was their age, drugs were simply bad, and even being curious was enough to get you labelled a troublemaker. Seeing them use the Chill Pill framework to have these honest, open discussions without fear of judgment is incredible. It’s the kind of supportive environment I wish I’d had when I was navigating those same questions.

Young person

Czech Republic

Young person

Czech Republic

3) I didn’t actually finish my movie because filmmaking just isn’t really my thing, but the process of brainstorming the storyline stayed with me. I spent so much time thinking about how to portray a character’s struggle that it made me want to understand the topic deeper. I ended up picking up The Queen’s Gambit and really connecting with how it handled the theme of addiction. Even without a final video, the project made me pause and actually research these complex emotions through stories that finally resonated with me.

Youth worker

Czech Republic

Youth worker

Czech Republic

4) One thing I’ve realized through this project is that most young people actually have a very good sense of where the ‘safe line’ is. They might choose to cross it out of curiosity or experimentation. And let’s be honest, no one starts experimenting with drugs expecting to become an addict. But my hope is that the resilience skills we’ve taught them will act as a safety line. By giving them the tools to understand their own boundaries, we are helping them ensure that if they experiment, they have the self-awareness and the strength to step back.

Youth Worker

Czech Republic

Youth Worker

Czech Republic

5) Participating in this project was a wake-up call for me. I realized that my own alcohol consumption had become quite high simply because it’s so deeply embedded in Czech social life: celebrations, outings with friends, or just being offered a drink, where saying “no” feels socially awkward. Navigating that pressure as an adult and seeing how even my peers struggled to understand why I’d choose not to drink gave me a huge reality check. It’s given me a much deeper sense of empathy for young people, who face that same peer pressure but with far fewer tools to handle it. If it’s this hard for me, I now truly understand how vital it is that we give them the strength to set their own boundaries early.

Young Person

Spain

Young Person

Spain

1) I was really excited about the Digital Content Creation part because I wanted to share my thoughts, but I have always been terrified of showing my face on camera. In most school projects, that would have been a problem, but the Chill Pill toolkit actually encouraged us to find other ways. I ended up making a video without any acting. It felt even more powerful because I wasn’t distracted by how I looked. I could just focus on my message, and it taught me that you don’t have to expose yourself to have a voice.

Young person

Spain

Young person

Spain

2) When we started the coaching scenarios, I thought it would be awkward, but seeing my friends take on the role of ‘coach’ changed the vibe. We stopped making jokes and started actually talking about why we feel the need to escape sometimes. It was the first time I felt like I could discuss these things without it feeling like a lecture. It made the topic of drugs feel less like a hidden taboo and more like a challenge we can actually handle together.

Youth Worker

Spain

Youth Worker

Spain

3) I used to think my job was to give answers, but the Chill Pill framework forced me to learn how to ask the right questions.

Young person

Spain

Young person

Spain

4) Even though my main language is Spanish, I decided to challenge myself by going through the German version of the modules on the learning platform. I’m currently studying German on my own, and I found it incredibly rewarding to expand my vocabulary with terms related to psychology and emotional health, while also learning the project content.

Youth Worker

Berlin

Youth Worker

Berlin

"After the training, I realised I had been using language around drug use that I hadn't questioned in years. The session made me look up current terminology the same evening. It has completely changed how I go about these conversations with young people - language is such an important tool and the words we choose can carry judgment whether we intend it or not."

Youth Worker

Berlin

Youth Worker

Berlin

"I've worked with young people on substance-related topics before, but usually there's a wall, they perform disinterest or give you the answers they think you want. With the Chill Pill framing, that wall came down much earlier. I think it's because they could sense we weren't there to judge them."

Young Person

Berlin

Young Person

Berlin

"I used to think of my coping mechanisms as either good or bad, and with that came a lot of shame. What stuck with me from the sessions is that they're not really either because everything we do to cope serves a purpose, but it is worth asking is whether it's causing harm or not."

Young Person

Berlin

Young Person

Berlin

"It helped to hear the experiences of other people in the group. I thought some of the things I felt and do to cope are just "me things". But during the video making activity, I realised that it might be more common than I think. It´s definitely encouraged me to talk about my mental health with my friends more.

Youth Worker

Ireland

Youth Worker

Ireland

“Before this, it was hard to bring up topics like drugs without it feeling forced. Using the scenarios gave us a way in, and the conversation just flowed from there.”

Young Person

Ireland

Young Person

Ireland

At the start, I didn’t really want to speak, but once we started working on the video, I felt more comfortable sharing ideas. It didn’t feel like we were being told what to do. It felt like we were figuring it out ourselves.

Youth Worker

Ireland

Youth Worker

Ireland

“Usually you’d have a few talking and the rest sitting back. With the activities, especially the filming, everyone had a role, so more people actually got involved.”

Young Person

Ireland

Young Person

Ireland

Making the video made me think more about the choices people make and what can happen after. It made it feel more real than just talking about it.”

Youth Worker

Ireland

Youth Worker

Ireland

The biggest change for me was stepping back and not trying to give answers. Asking questions instead made young people open up a lot more.”

Funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Czech National Agency for International Education and Research. Neither the European Union nor the grant provider can be held responsible for them.(Project No.: 2023-1-CZ01-KA220-YOU-000152344)