Charity, Education | Posted on November 6th, 2024 | return to news
Dorset Crime Commissioner funds drug education programme
The programme has been created for schools to help young people make safes choices around alcohol and illegal substances.
Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick has funded a new programme of drug education for schools in the county.
The programme was designed by The Talkabout Trust, a Dorset-based charity who support young people between the ages of nine and 25 to make safer choices around alcohol, vaping, cannabis, and other illegal substances. The programme has been trialled with 200 children in Dorset and covers issues concerning 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 impact of the education.
The programme was trialled through a short series of lessons for Year Nine students which included an animated short film, teacher training, student assembly and interactive games. The programme is set to be made available to every single secondary school across Dorset by the end of the year.
The suite of drug education resources was funded as part of the commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan commitment to tackle addiction and substance misuse. 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 Talkabout 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 Talkabout 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.”
Alison Winsborough, Deputy Head at Atlantic Academy, Portland said: “The drug education day that our Atlantic Year Nine students took part in was incredibly powerful. The materials were extremely well pitched, informative and current.
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