Adolescents With Attitude: using video and the National Curriculum to broaden drug education in schools

As workers in a National Health Service community trust providing drug services, we were keen that primary prevention initiatives should be developed and offered alongside treatment services. A priority for us has been to target young people, aged 10-19, attending schools and colleges, taking part in health education programmes providing specific inputs on drugs, alcohol and sexual health. We have moved away from one-off 'drugs and dangers' talks to partnerships with schools where, in the course of an academic year, we have provided inservice training for staff, counselling for the broad school community, classroom based seminars and workshops, and awareness sessions for parents and governors (Berry et al., 1994). Short term agency evaluations of sessions within the programmes suggest the non didactic approach, with relationships between health workers and pupils developing over a period of time, have been successful in challenging young people to think about their future behaviour regarding drug use (CADS, 1994a).