Talking to kids about alcohol

1. Talking to kids about alcohol Lesson plans, interactive games, quizzes, work sheets and website to allow 11-18 year-olds to make informed choices as they encounter alcohol socially. Based on a social norms approach, the scheme concentrates on units and guidelines, how much is too much, how to stay safe, the law and how to resist peer pressure. www.talkaboutalcohol.com Created by teachers and parents for teachers and parents www.alcoholeducationtrust.org

2. Alcohol is everywhere, parents are far more worried about hard drugs, teenage pregnancy and smoking They don’t listen to us, it’s what their friends are doing that matters It’s aspirational isn’t it? The kids see soaps featuring booze and celebrities getting drunk and see it as cool and normal Our role is damage limitation as they’re going to drink anyway It’s a right of passage - part of growing up - we did it The 2013 OFSTED report on PSHE provision in secondary schools found Alcohol Education to be inadequate in 40% of secondary schools surveyed and generally ‘not yet good enough’

3. The Talk About Alcohol programme The Alcohol Education Trust and provides teachers with evidence based tools to encourage teenagers to make informed decisions around alcohol and tactics to help them manage difficult situations. The resources, created by teachers and PSHE specialists, include: • Detailed PSHE lesson plans on line and in a teacher workbook • ‘Quick fix’ work sheets and information sheets for an informal environment such as youth clubs • A 500 page website with games, quizzes, and dedicated areas for teacher, the 11 – 18 year olds and their parents www.talkaboutalcohol.com • Booklets to send home to parents and an opportunity to host a talkaboutalcohol parents talk • Resources set out by subject and by year group via www.alcoholeducationtrust.org • Alcohol and you leaflet for older teenages 15+ • Engaging film clips to ‘break the ice’ activities and games

4. Who are the Alcohol Education Trust? • The Alcohol Education Trust has a very specific remit – the provision of evidence based and evaluated alcohol education in different ways, to pupils age 11 - 18 and their parents, and to provide engaging and positive resources and lesson plans for teachers.  • The Alcohol Education Trust Trustees are all career teachers and specialists in PSHE, and include a recently retired Head Teacher, an SEN specialist, a Head of Department from a large greater London secondary school and a teacher from one of the largest rural secondary schools in the UK (2,400 children). • The Programme is PSHE accredited, awarded 3/3 by The Centre for Analysis for Youth Transitions (DfE) and selected by the Early Intervention Foundation as among their top 50 programmes internationally across all disciplines.

5. Our vision The vision of the Alcohol Education Trust is for young people to enter adulthood with a healthy relationship with alcohol by equipping them with the knowledge and skills to make responsible and informed choices. Our goal is to raise the age of onset for youth drinking, as early regular use is associated with lower academic attainment and other risk taking. Furthermore, we aim to reduce drinking to drunkenness and hence short term harms, to reduce alcohol related illnesses and harm in adulthood. The mission of the Alcohol Education Trust is to support the education system to deliver high quality alcohol education to 11 – 18 year olds, with tailored approaches for different age groups and learning needs, through the development of resources and training as well research and advocacy.

6. Our core values Research led – We are an organisation that places evidence and research at the heart of our activities. All of our work is based upon strong evidence and we constantly have our methods and outcomes evaluated. Open and positive – Our methods are not based on focusing on negative behaviour and scare tactics. We want young people to be open about their experiences, worries and attitudes to alcohol in order to have an honest and mature dialogue. A social norms approach highlights improving trends and behaviours in all risk taking by young people. Holistic – We integrate alcohol education with development around life skills and resilience. We look at the wider impact of our work and ways we can support young people’s transition into adulthood. We work with schools, local authorities, Public Health and parents to provide holistic support to young people. Practical – We provide easy to implement practical tools, training and resources to schools that are engaging and evidence based.

7. How do we ensure schools and stakeholders achieve these goals? increase young people’s knowledge, awareness and understanding of alcohol, its effects on the immature body and the social and physical risks associated with its misuse raise awareness of the laws around alcohol, and why these exist promote dialogue about alcohol between teenagers and their parents and teachers build young people’s resilience and life skills, to understand personal responsibility, planning ahead and facilitating informed choices raise the age of onset of drinking (first whole drink) from the current age 13.5 to at least the CMO guidance of age 15 in a supervised environment ensure teachers understand how risk taking affects behaviour and academic attainment increase the understanding of units, guidelines and responsible drinking reduce the incidence of ‘binge drinking’ and alcohol related harm ensure parents understand the law, the importance of setting boundaries, being good role models, knowing where their children are and who they are with.

8. Our key concerns Key concerns in the area of underage alcohol use are: The regional variation in alcohol related harms for U18’s with particular problems in the North East and North West of England, with Barrow in Furness, Blackpool, Salford, Liverpool, Middlesbrough and South Tyneside for example having close to 100 hospital admissions versus 20 or less in other areas. The higher proportion of drunkenness and hospitalisations among underage girls when compared to boys. Of the 12,233 hospital admissions for alcohol for under 18’s in 2010/11 6,769 were for girls versus 5,563 for boys. That parents are the key suppliers of alcohol to those under 18 (60%-70%) and that the most common places for underage drinking are private parties and public spaces. The evidence that teenagers who regularly drink before the age of 15 are more likely to be truant, have poor school results(20 point fall in GSCE predictions if drink weekly) and engage in other substance use. They are 7 times more likely to be in a car crash because of drinking and 11 times more likely to suffer unintentional injuries after drinking.

9. Achieving behaviour change – is it possible? Much of the education about substance misuse, especially for young people, focuses exclusively on risks, dangers and consequences. Educators are often surprised that this information does not result in behaviour change. But providing information alone, no matter how clearly it spells out the risks, will not automatically result in changed behaviour. So what does? In the last few decades, several theories have defined the elements that are necessary to produce successful change in behaviour. In a nutshell, these elements are: Motivation (reason or necessity) Information (knowing what to do) Skills for change (knowing how to do it) Enabling environment (having support) Extract: Alcohol Education, A guide for teachers, employers and other programme developers (Alcohol Education Research Council)

10. Positive approaches based on the PSHE Association 10 principles Take a positive engaging approach which does not attempt to induce shock or guilt, but focuses on what young people can do to be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic wellbeing. Be Secure in your knowledge Address misunderstandings Do not focus on extremes of behaviour – very tempting to focus on binge drinking, addiction, alcohol related deaths and ‘shock tactics’. Children tend to disassociate themselves and feel ‘that’s not me’ – or can risk normalising risky behaviours. 1 in 5 will binge drink to some degree, most will experience being drunk at least once and 88% of the adult population drink alcohol Challenge beliefs: ‘everyone gets drunk’ – maybe your own Key objectives: to raise the age at which young people regularly drink alcohol to the CMO guidance of 15 (currently age 13.5) to reduce acceptability of binge drinking, getting drunk and risky behaviours

18. Alcohol Education Trust worksheets Worksheets for pupils to write down their own ideas and full answer sheets to hand out. Ability to ‘pick and mix’ the stand alone resources to suit the lesson length, student knowledge, experience and age, including SEN versions.

19. Alcohol Education Trust interactive resources 500 pages of interactive games, quizzes, an interactive body and ideas. Separate areas for teachers, pupils and parents.

20. Why are we working with RU different to engage parents? The AET has always reached out to parents via schools and colleges, through its talks, websites and newsletters – often meaning engaged parents are involved and we do not reach those who need advice most. By embracing social media and digital engagement we can reach parents simply and effectively – and involve them in their kids project. We can also measure their reaction to social norms messaging and whether it will affect their approach to alcohol at home and regarding supply. Our goals, in a non preachy and engaging way, are to make parents aware that: They are key supplier of alcohol to those underage (60%) and why this is inappropriate A tough love parenting approach protect against all risk taking Being good role models, setting boundaries and knowing where kids are and who they are with delays onset of alcohol use and level of use Its not normal for young teens to drink alcohol or get drunk and about CMO guidance of why no use before age 15 is recommended. Home, friends houses and public spaces are key drinking locations for U18’s Boredom and lack of structure to free time is a key motivation for underage drinking

21. The need to involve parents in the alcohol and ‘risky behaviours’ debate 71% of children ages 8 to 17 cited their parents as the No.1 influence on whether they drink alcohol (2012 GfK Roper Youth Report). However, a YMCA survey in 2008 found that parents were important influences, but that they weren’t seen by most teenagers as good role models, and they didn’t set ground rules that they stuck to. Only 21% said their parents or other adults they knew provided a model of responsible behaviour. While 55% of young people say that their school provides clear rules and boundaries. Barely 27% say they have to abide by clear rules and consequences in their family, or that their parents keep track of where they are.

22. Where do you get drink from?

23. Additional support We will support all schools in Halton with our 100 page teacher work book full of lesson plans, games, advice and planning. Schools will be supported with email and phone advice plus a bi –termly newsletter. Each school is offered a talking to kids about alcohol session to invite parents to attend. This can be stand alone or form part of a planned event or parents evening.

29. Talking to kids about alcohol Lesson plans, interactive games, quizzes and work sheets to allow 11-18 year olds to make informed choices as they encounter alcohol socially. Based on a social norms approach, the scheme concentrates on units and guidelines, how much is too much, how to stay safe, the law and how to resist peer pressure. www.talkaboutalcohol.com Created by teachers and parents for teachers and parents www.alcoholeducationtrust.org