Alcohol Awareness Week 2021
Educating students about alcohol
In the UK, the consumption of alcohol is a big part of our culture - it’s very easily accessible and widely available. However, the misuse of alcohol can have extremely negative effects on individuals, their families and communities. This is why it's so important to teach about alcohol in schools.
This year's Alcohol Awareness Week takes place from the 15th to the 21st November 2021 on the theme of ‘Alcohol and Relationships’, and it's a great time to educate your students about alcohol and its risks.
Alcohol and relationships
Alcohol Change UK has chosen the theme of ‘Alcohol and Relationships’ to highlight how alcohol can become a big part of our connections with other people and how it can even negatively impact our relationships. Click here to read more about this year's theme.
Since the pandemic started, research has shown that many of us have been drinking more to deal with feelings of loneliness and isolation. As we leave lockdown and return to normal life we may experience new social pressures to drink and internal pressures to get back to 'normal' socialising. Some may even experience 'sober shaming'.
To help and to provide support, Alcohol Change UK will be looking at the ways in which alcohol can affect our relationships and will be sharing stories, factsheets, tips and more.
Why is it important to teach young people about alcohol?
The consumption of alcohol is often viewed as a rite of passage and a part of adolescence. Many young people may look to take part but are unaware of the risks. They can also be subject to peer pressure and the use of drugs in conjunction with alcohol.
If young people are not equipped with the right knowledge, there is the potential for dangerous and adverse outcomes. If students aren’t taught about the risks and consequences then they might not know the extent of these and how dangerous alcohol can be if not used responsibly.
For more student resources, lesson plans and information, please refer to the resources box above.
Some useful tips for the classroom:
- Don’t use the ‘just say no’ message - according to research this is likely to have the opposite effect
- Don’t use ‘scare tactics’ - let students draw their own conclusions about the information, facts and health effects instead
- Don’t teach abstinence - advising students to completely discard the use of alcohol is not the answer - it’s getting them to drink responsibly and in moderation
- Help students understand that it is okay not to partake, even when it seems like everyone else is
- Teach them how to make safe and healthy decisions surrounding the use of alcohol
In 2018, there were 5,698 alcohol-specific deaths in England alone.
Resources
Talkaboutalcohol.com offers many resources for the classroom aimed at Key Stage 3 students
PSHE Association has a large toolkit of resources and lesson plans for all Key Stages