Alcohol and Drug Awareness and Education for Young People

Background

Education was highlighted as one of the four key areas of change in the Governments National Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy; one group this education is to be aimed at are young people. To achieve this, part of the national plan is to get young people themselves to advise on what type of educational input would work best for them.

Project Aims

1)     To investigate current trends and attitudes towards underage drinking and drug use in 11-17 year olds in North Nottinghamshire.

2)     To establish what types of education and awareness 11-17 year olds in North Nottinghamshire currently receive around alcohol and drug use and the sources of this information.

3)     To evaluate current alcohol and drug education for young people in North Nottinghamshire.

4)     To develop educational materials and methods for raising alcohol and drug awareness in young people based on the suggestions and recommendations from the 11-17 year olds taking part in the study.

Acknowledgements

apas would like to thank the teachers and pupils at the following schools for their time, hard work and support in completing the questionnaires

Kirkby College, Kirkby-in-Ashfield

The National C of E Comprehensive, Hucknall

Sutton Centre Community College, Sutton-in-Ashfield

Portland Comprehensive, Worksop

Tuxford Comprehensive, Tuxford

We would also like to thank the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire County Drug and Alcohol Action Teams for providing funding for the project through the Let’s Build in your community fund initiative.

Part 1 - Monitoring Information

843 pupils took part in the study, 46% Males and 54% Females.

Break down by school:

Kirkby College 17%

The National     20%

Portland Comp  6%

Sutton Centre   18%

Tuxford Comp  39%

Break down by year group:

Year 7       2%

Year 8     20%

Year 9     20%

Year 10   37%

Year 11   19%

6^th Form    2%

Ethnicity

The majority of pupils (94%) reported their ethnic category as White British although there was a small representative number from the following ethnic categories:

White Irish, Other White, Mixed White and Black Caribbean, Mixed White and Black African, Mixed White and Asian, Other Mixed, Asian British Indian, Asian British Bangladeshi, Black British Caribbean, Black British African, Black British Other Black, Other Ethnic Chinese and Other Ethnic Any Other.

Part 2A - Looking at current drinking and drug use and consequences of recent / past substance misuse                                         

N=220 (Males N=94 Females N=126)

Have you ever…

Had an alcoholic drink?

Females          93% Yes

Males               89% Yes

Even spread over all ages

Smoked a tobacco cigarette?

Females          17% yes

Males               15% yes

Used any drugs?

Females          13% yes

Males               17% yes

The pupils in this study reported smoking and / or using drugs in yr9 with prevalence & amount increasing in yrs10 & 11 in both male & female pupils.  

Around 30% of both males and females reported having had an alcoholic drink in the last week, with over 20% of males and 30% of females consuming an estimated 4-6units per drinking occasion (the department of health recommends adult females drink a maximum of 3units and adult males a maximum of 4 per drinking occasion)  

11% of female pupils and 8% of male pupils said they smoked out of habit, over 5% of all pupils said they smoked because they enjoyed it. 6% of females said they smoked because their friends did and 7% of males saying they smoked because it relaxed them.

4% of pupils said they used drugs because they enjoyed it, over 5% said they were experimenting & 7% of pupils reported using drugs to get high. Drinking & depression were also reported as reasons for taking drugs.

20% of pupils said they paid for their own alcohol, cigarettes and / or drugs and around 5% of pupils said their parents or other family members bought alcohol for them.

Part 2B - Looking at current sources & types of education, information & advice received relating to alcohol & identifying those that are felt to be effective at changing drinking behaviour in young people                         

N=226 (Males N=98 Females N=128)

The five most common sources of alcohol information, awareness and education stated by all pupils where parents, friends, TV, teachers & school and the DARE programme was stated as another source of alcohol education by a high number of students. Leaflets and books, community services and Youth services were reported as some of the poorest sources of alcohol education whilst school and teachers, friends and family, specialist agencies and health services were considered to be good sources of alcohol education. DARE was highly rated by the majority of young people who stated it as a source of alcohol information, although it was more commonly recorded by the younger pupils than the year 10 and 11 students.

Methods of alcohol education

The top five methods identified by all pupils, regardless of age and gender, for being interesting and useful in alcohol education and awareness were role-play, TV & videos, drama, teaching in class and agency visitors. When asked which methods they felt would be most effective at changing their thoughts and behaviours relating to their own alcohol use the aforementioned methods appeared once more in the top six. However both male and female pupils stated that personal experiences - their own or another persons - were an effective method to initiate change.

What topics relating to alcohol would you find interesting to learn about?

What topics relating to alcohol do you think would be effective at changing your thoughts or behaviours relating to your own alcohol use?

Part 2C - Looking at current sources & types of education, information & advice received relating to drugs & identifying those that are felt to be effective at changing drug use in young people                             

N=205 (Males N=107 Fe males N=98)

The five most common sources of drug information, awareness and education once again stated by all pupils where parents, friends, TV, teachers & school and the DARE programme. Once again Leaflets and books, community services and Youth services were reported as some of the poorest sources of drug education whilst school and teachers, friends and family, specialist agencies and health services were considered to be good sources of drug education. DARE was again rated highly by the majority of young people stating it as a source of drug information, although it was more commonly recorded by students in the lower years (years 7, 8 and 9).  

Methods of drug education

The top five methods identified by all pupils, regardless of age and gender, for being interesting and useful in drug education and awareness were role-play, TV & videos, drama, group sessions and agency visitors. When asked which methods they felt would be most effective at changing their thoughts and behaviours relating to their own drug use both male and female pupils included personal experiences in their “top methods” alongside drama, role-play, TV & videos and agency visitors.

What topics related to drugs would you find interesting to learn about?

What topics related to drugs would change your thoughts or behaviours relating to your own drug use?