Drinkaware for Education, available free from the charity’s website, incorporates discussion-based activities, role plays and scenarios drawn from everyday situations, to equip young people with information about alcohol and its harmful effects.
Developed with teachers, the new resources are flexible and easily adaptable. Teachers can mix and match which activities to use, when to teach them and they can be taught in any order. The resources are also suitable for use by youth group leaders.
There has been an encouraging downward trend in underage drinking in the UK in recent years with the number of 11-15 year olds who have drunk a whole alcoholic drink at least once dropping to 38% in 2014 from 61% in 2003.*
Despite this, The Drinkaware Monitor, an Ipsos MORI survey of young people and their parents’ drinking attitudes and behaviours**, highlights that one in nine (11%) of 10-17-year-olds missed a day of work, school or college in the last 12 months as a result of drinking alcohol and 12% of 10-17 year olds who drink suffered a serious harm as a result of drinking***.
Elaine Hindal, Chief Executive of Drinkaware says: “Exposing young people to information about the harmful effects of alcohol should be an important part of Personal Social Health and Economic Education (PSHE).
“Drinkaware for Education has been developed in partnership with teachers and experts to give young people the knowledge they need. As well as the harmful effects of alcohol on the body, the resources also address issues such as emotional wellbeing and peer pressure. Through scenario-based interactive lessons, teachers are able to reach young people in the right way, at the right time about the harms and risks associated with alcohol.”
The resources include four lesson plans for primary schools (9-11) and five for secondary schools (11-14) and include videos, lesson plans and presentations. They are suitable for PSHE lessons and can be taught alongside other topics including drugs or sex and relationships.
Drinkaware for Education can be downloaded for free at www.drinkaware.co.uk/education
Maryellen Clare, Media and Public Affairs Officer on email@example.com/ 020 7766 9914 / 07917 135436
Tom Keating, Media and Public Affairs Assistant firstname.lastname@example.org / 0207 766 9910
Notes to editors:
- ** Drinkaware Monitor 2014: Young people's and their parents' drinking behaviour and attitudes in the UK published July 2015.
Between 17th November and 10th December 2014, Ipsos MORI surveyed a representative sample of UK residents, including:
- 754 young people aged between 10 and 17.
- 813 parents; ‘parents’, defined as adults aged 25-80 who were a parent or guardian of at least one young person aged between 10 and 17.
After completing a full survey on their own drinking habits, parents were asked four additional questions about their attitudes to young people and alcohol, and about the drinking habits of one child in their household.
Young people were surveyed with parental consent, but without parental participation. They were asked about their attitudes to, and experiences of alcohol, and about their sources of information on drinking.
- *** Of those 10-17 year olds included in the Drinkaware Monitor 12% who drink have suffered a serious harm as a result (hospitalisation, being in a fight, trouble with the police or being a victim of crime).
- Drinkaware is an independent charity which aims to get people to think differently about alcohol. Our entire focus is on getting people to understand the harm it can do to their health, families and those around them. If people understand the impact drink can have, they’re more likely to make a change. Established in 2007, Drinkaware works alongside the medical profession, the alcohol industry and government to achieve its goals. For further information visit www.drinkaware.co.uk