School-based interventions on alcohol

This guidance is aimed at teachers, school governors and practitioners with health and wellbeing as part of their remit working in education, local authorities, the NHS and the wider public, voluntary and community sectors. It may also be of interest to children, young people and their families. Th ...

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This guidance is aimed at teachers, school governors and practitioners with health and wellbeing as part of their remit working in education, local authorities, the NHS and the wider public, voluntary and community sectors. It may also be of interest to children, young people and their families.

The recommendations focus on encouraging children not to drink, delaying the age at which they start drinking and reducing the harm it can cause among those who do drink.

NICE recommendations include the following:

• alcohol education should be an integral part of the school curriculum and should be tailored for different age groups and different learning needs
• a 'whole school' approach should be adopted, covering everything from policy development and the school environment to staff training and parents and pupils should be involved in developing and supporting this
• where appropriate, children and young people who are thought to be drinking harmful amounts should be offered one-to-one advice or should be referred to an external service
• schools should work with a range of local partners to support alcohol education in schools, ensure school interventions are integrated with community activities and to find ways to consult with families about initiatives to reduce alcohol use.

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