School years:  7–12

Summary: This interactive game provides a fun and engaging way to learn about the negative effects of drugs. Players navigate through four Australian landscapes avoiding illegal drugs and their effects to get to a music festival before tickets sell out. The game adopts a harm-reduction approach, educating students about the potential harms associated with drug use, including cannabis, ecstasy, hallucinogens and (e.g. crystal methamphetamine 'ice'). A unique aspect of the game is that these messages are communicated explicitly (via short memorable text and graphics) as well as via interactive learning (colliding with drugs results in impaired performance effects).

Avoiding drugs is the key to success as players race for the best Pure Rush time. Teachers will find this game useful in supporting Health and Physical Education lessons, and feedback from students indicates they love playing it.

Format: 10–15-minute online game.

Developers:

• National Health and Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use at the University of New South Wales (now the Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use at the University of Sydney);
• Sydney educational game designers, 2and2.

Year: 2014

Costs: Free

Evidence base: Benefits associated with playing Pure Rush have been evaluated in one published study. See reference below:

• Stapinski, L.S., Reda, B., Newton, N., Lawler, S., Rodriguez, D., Chapman, C. & Teesson, M. (2017). Journal articleDevelopment and evaluation of 'Pure Rush': An online serious game for drug education. Drug and Alcohol Review.