Teacher education

Goodenough Drug Strategy Project is an initiative of the London Drug Policy Forum.

enjoyed the view research entrusted to them by the Institute of Alcohol Studies .

Part of the report looks at the effectiveness of policy in reducing harm.

Marcel Berlins v The Guardian :

I have nothing against don’t schoolchildren were told of the effects of excessive alcohol consumption, assuming that the lessons are fairly and responsibly –, but you can bet it won’t be. Children will be informed in a manner that is likely to do more drinking than less, attractive.

Filed under: alcohol

Alcoholnbsp;Strategy .

The government launched Safe. Sensible. Social.; next steps in the national strategy on alcohol . I’ve skimmed through it to see what might be of interest to us, but warn that it is only the first skim and could be missing pieces.

This strategy says the government will:

increase its focus on minority of drinkers who cause or experience the most harm to themselves, their communities and their families. These are:

-Young people under 18 drink alcohol, many of whom we now know is drinking more than their counterparts did a decade and ago;
-18A € “24-year-old binge drinkers, a minority of them are responsible for most alcohol-related crime and disorder in the night-time economy

They also talk about the harmful drinkers if their drinking can cause damage to others (presumably including children).

The Guardian have a bit of freelance contributors to the school. Two of them are of direct interest to us. First Bobby Cummines, CEO National Association of Free Reformed offenders. Paper says its approach to communicating with students about crime:

“I Ask who wants to be a drug dealer and they say yes. So I link it and say: we’ve got to send a message to these people so that they have to shoot in the foot?

“I It’s tell them people like them, doing small deals, which are used as an example for the larger guys, so it is more likely to be victims of violent crime than the big guy. And if you can’t, the message is sent within the family. They say: if I have a knife, people won’t to me. But I tell them, well, you knife; don’t I know if you’re going to use it, so I had a gun and shoot you.”

Then Darren Gold of the reach of the team leader of Drugline. Darren is a recovering heroin addict says:

“I Go to school and deliver customized training programs suitable for year 5 to year 13, ” says. “We Basic program around a specific age group, so if you see we’re years, 5 or 6, we don’t talk about heroin and crack, but look at the pressure and the transition and how you might feel left out or uncomfortable.

If it’s older age group, we talk more about illegal drugs and side effects. It’s basically giving them all the information they need from someone who was there, and experienced it…

“They Use hear stories. They get to hear any more stories from real life than from books or listening to their teachers belong to what may happen and what may happen. The fact that they receive from us realism.”

There is also a quotation from the PSHE coordinator in the School of Redbridge, who says:

“Darren Really useful because it provides a real life story, ” she says. “I I think that kids really respond to it and is shocked by the stories Darren’s. Children are asked to all. They’re very interesting to hear what impact the drugs that his experience. He often talks about how he threw drugs.”

DfES guidance in schools is quite clear that children “shocking” isn’t to drug education. In addition, reliable enough that he speaks of external actors, in particular, ex-users:

The involvement of former drug education should be considered cautiously by virtue of their status as a former user.

The QCA in their description of what effective drug education looks like don’t mention trying to “shock” pupils either. Instead they suggest that teachers should be looking to ensure the following:

Knowledge

-of long-term physical and psychological effects of drug, alcohol and tobacco use;

- of short-term effects.

Attitudes

-feedback from school surveys on drug norms;

-correction of the perception of universal drug use;

-consideration of media and social influences that lead to use.

Interpersonal skills

- refusal;

-assertiveness;

-communication;

-safety.

Intrapersonal and interpersonal skills

- building self-esteem;

-coping skills;

-stress reduction techniques;

-goal-setting;

-decision-making/problem-solving.

Delivery

-participatory;

-inclusive;

-structured activity to promote peer interaction;

-practice in drug refusal skills;

-role-plays that are pupil generated;

-sufficient practice time;

-peer modelling of appropriate behaviour;

-supportive comments from the group.

Reality bites | eG weekly | EducationGuardian.co.uk

Filed under: drug education

Conservative Home a complete list of 188 recommendations that have left the political work of justice, social policy of the Commission.

Here are 48 that come from Dependencies paper :

Policy proposals we suggest are based on three principles:

reform treatment – breaking the cycle of dependency and devolution of responsibilities, addressing addiction (including alcohol dependence) and investing in abstinence-based recovery programs
-The prevention of damage – to promote public health and control the consumption of alcohol and drugs through prices.
-Protecting children – in front of parental substance abuse, understanding that children are affected by parental addiction and cannabis deal.

POLICIES

An integrated drug treatment redefine politics in terms of dependence, which covers alcohol and drugs, a policy goal lead to abstinence.the existing Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. (Section 3.1.4)
A review of the Misuse of Drugs Act and associated penalties is proposed to be undertaken by the new Addiction Advisory Council. (Section 3.1.5)
Local Addiction Action Centres, staffed in proportion to local known needs /estimates of problem drug and alcohol users in the area and led by an Addiction Action Coordinator, a former residential or day care drugs CEO/counsellor or addiction psychiatrist, to replace Drugs Action Teams. (Section 3.1.6)
We propose to fund all treatment by abstinence based treatment vouchers. (Section 3.1.7)
One Stop Shops, to provide both the start and continuity through the treatment journey. (Section 3.1.7)
Methadone to be prescribed in the context of ‘change programmes’, as a stepping stone for clients to abstinence. The pharmacy system of dispensing to be discontinued. (Section 3.2)
We recommend that GP’s and DAT Treatment Managers review their patients on methadone and make every effort to offer alternative routes to recovery and treatment. (Section 3.2)
We propose the immediate abandonment of the meaningless and corrupting treatment targets set by the current administration and move towards a system which is needs led and monitored and measured in terms of real outcomes – including abstinence or reduction of substance use, improved mental health and social functioning and motivation. (Section 3.2.1)
Structured Abstinence Based Day Care Expansion supported by treatment voucher. Such services would no longer be subject to commissioning vagaries but to their own outcomes success. (Section 3.2.2)
Residential detoxification and rehabilitation to expand to more realistic levels funded by treatment vouchers. (Section 3.2.3)
Rapid expansion of secondary residential care and dry sheltered accommodation for former offenders who have completed first stage rehabilitation programmes in prisons. (Section 3.2.3)
Support for faith based communities It is of note that some of the most successful and enduring residential rehabilitation centres are faith based, like Yeldall Manor, Victory Outreach and Betel. (Section 3.2.4)
Families with children to be prioritised for treatment – to break cycle of addiction and protect children. (Section 3.2.6)
We propose funding for innovatory community projects, such as the ‘Safer Families Projects’ pioneered in Bolton. (Section 3.2.6)
Immediate family residential service/centre expansion We would suggest that the three proven existing providers (of family residential services), Gilead, Addaction and Phoenix Futures should be supported to expand these services to other areas, increasing the number from 5 back to 15 as soon as possible. (Section 3.2.9)
Training and Qualifications – new degree level courses at University of Bath in counselling to be replicated. (See Section 3.2.9)
A formal adolescent needs assessment to establish the needs of the current 17,000 adolescents in ‘treatment’ and the basis for the governments current targets. (Section 3.6.1)
Immediate review of and assessment of effectiveness of existing adolescent ’substance abuse’ services and needs of 1000 adolescents on Class A drugs (Section 3.6.2)
The development of specialist adolescent residential facilities and programmes for those deemed most in need and at most risk. (Section 3.6.3)
An ‘Adolescent’ Task Force on the National Addiction Trust to formulate and formally trial appropriate community intervention – taking particular consideration of the problem posed by early alcohol and cannabis use – and to introduce a system of accountability. (Section 3.6.3)
Brief Interventions (for alcohol) We propose nationwide training of GPs to provide this proven intervention. (Section 3.2.7)
Promoting and recognising AA and NA. There is evidence to show that ongoing peer support of the type given by the AA and NA fellowships, along with associated support groups such as Families Anonymous, not only is beneficial to the individuals involved but saves statutory services significant costs. We would like to see AA and NA as interrelated with and recognised by all statutory and voluntary ’services’ that have their place in helping someone with any addiction/dependency problem. (Section 3.2.8)
We propose halting the current roll out of Drugs Intervention Programmes – and reviewing and down scaling those currently in operation removing negative and bureaucratically costly targets and associated paperwork. – reverting to practices developed by Darren Worthington and his SMART team in Oxford with their original arrest referral work in approaching and motivating offenders. (Section 3.3.1)
We would propose the introduction of combined drugs and alcohol treatment orders at the discretion of magistrates and following advice from arrest referral workers. (Section 3.3)
Rehabilitation to be made in designated and meaningful settings and be abstinence based (replacing community based DRRs) either highly structured community based abstinence programmes such as that offered by SHARP1 in the community or within the dedicated rehabilitation prison wings, or residential treatment centres. (Section 3.3)
Experimental drugs courts, as in West London, are clearly effective, clearly have great potential and should be continued and replicated but with abstinence orders in meaningful treatment settings as above. (Section 3.3.2)
Our key proposal is that the prison treatment budget, after assessment, should primarily be directed to detoxification in the context of rehabilitation programmes, taking unique advantage of the prison setting and length of sentence. (Section 3.3.3)
A therapeutic community or 12 step programme wing in every prison. We propose an expansion of the existing 16 such dedicated programmes (currently mainly provided by RAPT and Phoenix Futures) to every prison within the estate. (Section 3.3.3)
Our immediate recommendations within the current framework are for:
• Broader HMP KPI targets to reduce target driven pressure on services and incorporate quality indicators.
• The segmentation of audit and inspection from in house drug treatment development, along with an enlarged inspection role.
• The commissioning of a thematic paper by HMCIP to analyse in detail the state of ‘joined up’ services.
• Better research and evaluation of intensive treatment programme.
• Population needs analysis research at every prison establishment in the UK as standard.
• The provision of proper alcohol treatment services in prisons.
• Increased capacity and the specific development and rollout of treatment programmes designed for prisoners whose problem drug is crack cocaine. (Section 3.3.3)
Ongoing outcomes Research is required to see which programmes are most effective in chieving abstinence and how they are achieved. (3.2.12)
Dental Treatment – an urgent need. We would like to see such enlightened initiatives maybe starting at the National Addiction Centre under the direction of the newly amalgamated Action on Addiction. (3.2.12)
An Alcohol Treatment Tax – As well as ignoring treatment needs recent governments have consistently fail to address the most effective way of preventing and reducing alcohol related harm – through taxation. (Section 3.4.1)
A commitment to preventing overall consumption rising further and, preferably, over time, to bringing it down to an agreed lower level, would help to provide a rational goal and focus to the alcohol harm reduction strategy that is presently lacking. Tax policy would be a crucial element of such a strategy. (Section 3.4)
Setting now low (in line with most EU countries) Blood Alcohol Consumption(BAC) limits to 0.5g/L and to 0.2 for inexperienced drivers and large vehicle and dangerous goods. (Section 3.4.2)
A new commitment to controlling supply of drugs. The evidence is that trends in all seizures have dropped since 1998.2 The question has to be asked is whether complex performance management administration has disrupted effective working practices. We recommend they are dropped. (Section 3.5)
Greater attempts to be made to ’size’ the market in order to establish bench marks against which seizures etc can be measured. This can be estimated in relation to street prices and purity. (Section 3.5.2)
A greater commitment to and review of middle level operations and more effective police management is required. We believe that police commitment to tackling drug dealing should be uncompromising. (Section 3.5.4)
Review and Reform Harm reduction and harm minimisation practices that were set up with the clear intent of promoting public health as well as the personal health of addicts are clearly failing. (Section 3.5.5)
Cannabis reclassification to B in the context of a national action plan to confront cannabis use by adolescents. (Section 3.6.5)
Assessing Adolescent Needs – a task force. (Section 3.6.2)
Reviewing Adolescent Substance Services – assessment of appropriateness and effectiveness (Section 3.6.2)
Juvenile Treatment Orders We propose the introduction of juvenile court orders to provide courts with the capacity and authority to order youths to receive drugs and alcohol abstinence treatment in designated residential settings. (Section 3.6.2)
Trialling schools drugs testing. (Section 3.6.6)
Trialling effective addiction education in schools. (Section 3.6.7)

Filed under: Conservatives

East Anglian Daily Times the story:

survey of students from 77 schools was carried Essex County Council in an effort to learn more about what kids want, because it shapes policy.

It also revealed a quarter of students from secondary schools in Essex have been offered illegal drugs, with nearly 20% of them are trying.

At Yearly Review pupils across England asked similar questions found:

In 2005, 39% of students have never been offered drugs, an increase of 36% in 2004. This ratio remained broadly stable since 2001, between 36% and 42%. In 2005, as well as in the previous survey years, boys were more likely than girls to have ever been offered drugs (41%, compared to 38%).

EADTU – Teens tell of bullying and drug use

Filed under: illegal drugs , Essex

Ex-users provides drugnbsp;education .

Last week All Party Parliamentary Group on substance abuse one of its members suggested that it would be good if the school children to hear more from ex-users about their experiences. He clearly felt that it would salatory lesson on how to avoid the pitfalls that ex-users may have experienced of; and provide information in a way that would instinctively be authoritative for the audience.

In some ways I understand, young people often ask to hear from ex-users, probably share the same hopes as an MP. Ex-users who go to school, are those for

best of intentions and feel that a story can help some of experiencing the same problems that they face.

I’ve thinking about how I’ve recently read Stuart; life backwards , Story of Stuart Shorter chaotic, homeless, violence, self-mutilating people with mental health problems.

While Stuart may not be representative of those with drug problems he seems to have many problems in his life that would have some friends. He was abused by a member of his family, ran away from home many times, had a difficult relationship with the school, and when taken into care, they face abuse and there. He responded with violence and using drugs; glue, cannabis, alcohol and cannabis.

In and out of prison as a young adult, homeless people sleeping rough and a lot of his time wasn’t. It seems that wasn’t able to maintain close relations, but he became a father as a teenager.

I thought the book was brilliant and moving without sentimentalising or minimize problems or difficulties that people face as Stuart cause.

But I’m sure that Stuart visited the ex-users in the school / s would have made the difference take decisions about drugs. In fact, I can’t see how each drug education could reduce risk factors that Stuart is facing or protective factors to promote ways that would change his circumstances.

Others thought that there were

Yesterday my head was so that one young man I met earlier this year talked about ex-user who’d visited the school. He told me that he thought he was brave to come to school and talk about his life story, but at the same time he was small, but contempt for him. Although it is rather anecdotal evidence, it is something, Howard Parker wrote Drink and Drugs News Recently:

An important symbolic measure, this is a cultural view of the emerging young drug users, who sees the

NICE has issued draft guidance for consultation school-based interventions on alcohol. These consultations will take place between Monday 9 July and Monday 6 August 2007.

This draft recommendations:

Recommendation 1:

-Ensure alcohol education is an integral part of a national science and personal, social and health education (PSHE) curricula, in line with DfES guidance.
-Ensure alcohol education is tailored for different age groups and their training needs. It should be aimed both at reducing the harmful effects of alcohol and to develop individual

I’ve been asked by one of our readers to get This report from the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy for your attention.

You’ll see that the thrust of the arguments of newspaper links young people who take illegal drugs to violent behavior and gang membership.

But what interested me was the strong case made for preventive measures. The paper says:

Teens participating in the activities between the hours of 3:00