Beyond the lesson plan: drug prevention and early intervention

Schools have a duty to promote children and young people’s wellbeing, and are also required to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. As part of this they have a responsibility to help young people manage risk, reducing the likelihood they may be harmed by use of legal and illegal drugs. Good drug education is a significant part of this, but what may be overlooked is the impact that schools (and other services) can have beyond this by providing a supportive environment for young people. This briefing paper covers school ethos (prevention), and ensuring young people get the support they need (early intervention). It also discusses the evidence that random drug testing may be counterproductive.