A new programme of drug education has been created for schools in Dorset with funding from the county’s Police and Crime Commissioner.
It’s been designed and piloted by The Talk About Trust, a Dorset-based charity supporting young people aged nine to 25 to make safer choices around alcohol, vaping, cannabis, and other illegal substances.
The programme has been trialled with 200 children and will be made available to every secondary school across Dorset by the end of the year.
The suite of resources has been funded by the Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick as part of his Police and Crime Plan commitment to tackle addiction and substance misuse.
The materials created by The Talk About Trust cover issues including alcohol, nitrous oxide, vaping, cannabis and cannabis derivatives, MDMA and ketamine.
The project was borne out of conversations with young people expressing what they wished they had known when they were younger around these topics.
The charity then interviewed teachers and health leads in schools, developing a suite of lessons alongside a programme of training for teachers designed to maximise the potential of the education.
The programme was trialled through a short series of lessons for Year 9 students which included an animated short film, teacher training, student assembly and interactive games.
Indications of behaviour changes or motivation to experiment with drugs were compared with children in two control schools who did not have the resources.
An evaluation was then carried out by the charity, experts at Bournemouth University and the University of Central London (UCL) Centre for Behaviour Change, with the improved programme set to be made available to every single secondary school across Dorset by the end of the year.
Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, David Sidwick said: “I am wholeheartedly committed to tackling the devastating issue of drugs in our society.
“Alongside robust enforcement and intervention including treatment and recovery, prevention through education is crucial and that’s why I was so pleased to be able to fund this work with The Talk About Trust.
“I know their expertise will ensure this is a project with the potential to make a big difference to the young people in Dorset.
“I would urge all secondary schools across the county to take up this vital resource as it could make a huge difference to the futures of the next generation.”
Helena Conibear, CEO of The Talk About Trust said: “This has been a very exciting project and would not have been possible without the support of the Police and Crime Commissioner.
“Most importantly the resources have been extensively piloted and evaluated by academic partners to help ensure that they are fit for purpose and will improve knowledge and reduce teen inclination to try illicit substances as well as nicotine.
“We were aware there was a lack of piloted or evidenced drug education in schools for young people, so this suite of lessons, fact sheets, animations, games and activities fills a much-needed gap.
“It’s a very exciting project and has the potential to make a big impact to the lives of young people.”