Last updated: 30 Oct 2007

What is drug, alcohol and tobacco education?

Drug, alcohol and tobacco education is an explicit, planned component of PSHE. It enables pupils to increase their knowledge and understanding of drugs, alcohol and tobacco, and to explore attitudes and develop skills for making healthy, informed choices.

What substances do pupils learn about?

Drug, alcohol and tobacco education includes learning about:

• over-the-counter or prescription medicines, including anabolic steroids and poppers (amyl nitrite)
• legal substances such as caffeine, alcohol and tobacco
• volatile substances, for example glues, gases, aerosol propellants
• illegally produced, owned or supplied substances such as those covered by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, for example cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine.

Pupils gain knowledge of these through planned learning opportunities appropriate to their age and needs. The guidance consists of the teacher's handbook Drug, alcohol and tobacco education and seven units of work.

From this page you can download the following drug, alcohol and tobacco education units.

• Unit A Keeping ourselves and others safe
• Unit B Risk-taking and dealing with pressure
• Unit C Building knowledge and understanding about drugs and alcohol - practising skills to deal with situations
• Unit D Drugs, alcohol, tobacco and the law - a local national and global issue
• Unit E Why do people use drugs?
• Unit F Managing risk
• Unit G Giving and receiving support