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Under the leadership of , an award-winning expert in behaviour change, the team has spent over 14 years refining its approach. Their mission? To build the world’s most effective education materials in this space—making prevention education engaging, accessible, and stress-free for teachers.

“We seek to understand each school's specific challenges and provide tailored support to achieve meaningful outcomes. Ultimately, our goal is to help schools create an environment free from harmful substances like vapes, alcohol, or nicotine pouches,” said Professor Dietrich.

Blurred Minds has demonstrated measurable positive change, with students showing increased ability to refuse alcohol, vapes, and cannabis, alongside a deeper understanding of the associated risks. Teachers report improved engagement, more effective classroom delivery, and increased confidence in tackling these topics.

Since 2023, Blurred Minds has been implemented across all Queensland secondary schools through a licensing agreement with the Queensland Government Department of Education and Training. By 2024, the Blurred Minds Academy had:

• 350,000+ portal views
• 55,000+ module completions
• 50,000+ game plays
• 415,000+ students with access to the Blurred Minds Academy

Beyond schools, Blurred Minds offers free online resources and games, supporting communities, parents, and teachers in tackling substance-related challenges.

A continuous cycle of innovation

At the heart of Blurred Minds is the , ensuring that the program evolves in real-time to meet emerging school needs.

“It never stops—it’s a process of continuous improvement. We’re always co-creating, always building, always engaging. That’s what allows us to keep refining our approach and making a real impact,”
said Professor Dietrich.

The CBE framework ensures continuous adaptation to schools’ needs. The Blurred Minds team collaborates closely with schools, establishing long-term partnerships to research and address substance-related challenges.

This agile model has enabled Blurred Minds to lead the charge in vaping education, launching the first É«ÇéÍøÕ¾n vaping resources well before public concern peaked. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the team rapidly expanded its vaping modules, and in 2025, it launched a Nicotine Pouches module in direct response to teacher feedback.

Today, Blurred Minds provides:

• 14 curriculum-aligned modules, blending interactive games, videos, quizzes, and classroom activities. Examples include a Virtual Reality (VR) House Party, a gamified drama that unfolds at a teen house party through a range of storylines determined by students.
• Assessment and marking rubrics for seamless integration into teaching.
• Workshops and community webinars, empowering teachers and parents to support substance education efforts. These webinars have gained traction across regional councils and health districts in Victoria, New South Wales, South É«ÇéÍøÕ¾, and Queensland.

“We are loving the Academy! Teachers are enjoying the blend of online self-paced activities and the classroom activities to consolidate the learning. Teachers are getting creative with it and enjoying the IT way of teaching,” said Michelle Byrne, Health and Physical Education teacher, Warwick State High School.

Blurred Mind's evolution

With a 14-year evaluation strategy, Blurred Minds employs a rigorous, evidence-informed approach to alcohol, vaping, and cannabis prevention. Blurred Minds began in 2011, sparked by a request from the to do alcohol education differently. The research program initially explored and education approach targeting 14–16-year-olds, prioritising engagement first to create a more impactful learning experience. This study set the research team on the path of iteratively developing and testing new content, games, and workshop experiences.

With dozens of peer-reviewed publications involving thousands of students, the ongoing co-creation process of Blurred Minds, consistently validating its positive impact at multiple stages of development. Findings demonstrate significant improvements in student outcomes, with evaluations confirming positive . Additionally, the program has been shown to achieve high levels of satisfaction and effectiveness among students, teachers and parents, reinforcing its value as an evidence-informed educational initiative.

Independent evaluations from external institutions such as the University of Melbourne and Central Queensland University have further validated the program’s positive impacts on students, teachers and parents.

The CBE framework and Blurred Minds model can be used across different areas and applications. Professor Dietrich and his colleagues and collaborators continue to examine and implement further marketing strategies and models in relation to  skills, , and empathy amongst students. Collectively, this research and its real-world implementation will continue to improve outcomes for students, their families, and school communities.