Newsletter Spring Term Registered Charity Number 1138775 March 2015 Ed 20 Where has this term gone? If you’re putting together your calendars for next term, don’t forget to ask us to come and ‘talk about alcohol’ at any parent led events – Summer Fairs, transfer information days, new parent events for the autumn term. We can lead events or have an informal stand where parents can come and learn more about keeping their kids safe around alcohol. Do email [email protected] We’ve held parent sessions this term for Surestart centres, for foster carers, Year 6 transition events, Year 9 GSCE option days, Health and wellbeing days and more – with three of us now around the country – from Cumbria to Cornwall and Salford to Salisbury we’re able to deliver more sessions to more parents, a key part of our work, so do get in touch. We’ve had an amazing academic year to date with record numbers of resources being ordered from all across the country – so we’re sorry we’ve had various out of stocks – Alcohol and You is now back in stock and Talking to Kids about alcohol will be back in time for the Summer term – we can support you with enough resources for one year group per year and otherwise modest charges apply. Our teacher workbook will be reprinted over the holidays, and don’t forget you can download all our resources from our website via: www.alcoholeducationtrust.org AET in the School Health Education Unit journal We’re thrilled to have a detailed article on our work at The Alcohol Education Trust and The Talk About Alcohol programme, our achievements to date and future plans featured this month in The School Health Education Unit Journal ‘Education and Health’. You can download the journal free of charge here http://sheu.org. uk/content/page/education-and-health-latest-issue BBC Newsround - Living With Alcohol BBC Newsround has made a very thought provoking 15 minute programme called Living With Alcohol. This 15-minute programme is about how young people are affected by their parents’ relationship with drink. It tells the real- life stories of three young children who have had very different experiences. It is balanced and has some very good discussion points for pupils in class. www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/31427685 We suggest it could be suitable as an introduction to “How much is too much? Getting the balance right” lesson plan for the end of Year 7 and Year 8 via www.alcoholeducationtrust.org/ teacher-area/staying-safe-avoiding-risk-taking/staying-safe-lesson-planning/ Be careful on talking too much about calories around girls More evidence is emerging that if older teenage girls plan a night out, they will cut down on food to allow for the extra alcohol calories that will be consumed during the evening – this is doubly harmful as not only are they more likely to drink on an empty stomach, meaning alcohol rushes into the bloodstream much more quickly than if they drink with or after food, putting added strain on the bodies organ and liver. It also means the girls are more likely to get drunk more easily and quickly and therefore be more vulnerable to risk taking and harm. We suggest more of an emphasis in teaching is put on how if you eat before you go out – even a sandwich or a bowl of cereal, you’re more likely to stay in control and have a better time, how alternating with water or soft drinks will keep you hydrated (and they’ll spend less) and to focus on staying with their friends, never going home on their own or with someone they don’t know well, keeping their mobile fully charged and switched on and never leaving their drink unattended. Emily’s story via www.alcoholeducationtrust.org/teacher-area/staying-safe-avoiding-risk-taking/staying-safe-lesson- planning/ is a good conversation starter around girls going out. Adrienne Key, consultant psychiatrist and lead clinician for eating disorders at the Priory Hospital, Roehampton, commenting on the research said that calorie information on drinks products was harmful for those with eating problems. She said, “Recently the advertising of the number of calories in a glass of wine and other drinks, designed to help the population as a whole control their intake, has led to a minority adapting their diets to cut out food to allow for a drink. When someone already has a low weight, it quickly becomes an issue.” Alcohol and violence Happily alcohol related violent crime is falling The 2012/13 and 2013/14 Crime Survey of England and Wales (CSEW) includes findings on violent incidents where alcohol is perceived to have been a factor. Additional analysis is also provided from the Home Office Data Hub, a record level dataset of police recorded offences. • Victims perceived the offender(s) to be under the influence of alcohol in 53% of violent incidents measured by the 2013/14 CSEW. This is equivalent to an estimated 704,000 ‘alcohol-related’ violent incidents. While the volume of incidents has fallen from over 1 million, this is still shockingly high. • Alcohol was a particularly prevalent factor in violent incidents between strangers, 64% of which were perceived to be alcohol-related (CSEW 2013/14), with 70% of violent incidents occurring at the weekend, in a public space and in the evening or night being alcohol-related. So the message to our teenagers here, is to beware when they’re out on the town and out with mates, watch out for others looking to pick a fight – just walk away, look after each other and make sure they know how they’re getting home before they go out, keep enough money aside and finally to think and pause before rushing into any situation, no matter how provoked – that conviction will stay with you forever. For more ideas see: www.alcoholeducationtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/StaySafe.pdf Our young people continue to drink and get drunk less On a more positive note, In 2013 young adults (those aged 16 to 24) were mainly responsible for the decrease in binge drinking in The UK, down from 29% to 18% since 2005. Of those who drank, however, 4 in 10 had drunk twice the guidelines in the last week, so our job is far from done yet! One in four (27%) in this age group claim they do not drink, a 40% change in 10 years, a trend that cannot be fully explained by an increase in non-drinking minority ethnic populations. www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_395191.pdf Will PSHE become statutory and will new teachers be given a grounding in PSHE? With 120 leading organisations, including The Alcohol Education Trust now behind The PSHE Association call for statutory PSHE, momentum is growing – The move is supported by 88% of teachers, 87% of parents, 85% of business leaders and hundreds of thousands of young people involved in the UK Youth Parliament’s Curriculum for Life campaign – this will make PSHE and SRE a ‘must teach’ rather than a ‘should teach’ as at present. Another big step towards the recognition of the importance of PSHE in schools is Public Health England facilitating a conference for ITE providers to encourage at least some level of briefing on PSHE and Health to be included in the syllabus. Watch this space! Thank you for your kind words!!! Time to show off, just a little bit! We’ve had some wonderful comments from those we’ve supported this term. ‘Your resources are brilliant and very appropriate to our Personal Development teaching course for key stages 3 and 4. Whatever it is you produce, keep at it – it is outstanding!’ Carolyn, William Howard School, Cumbria. ‘Just a big thank you for all the resources - I have, with the help of your Teacher’s Resource, made a programme to suit our pupils with Special Educational Needs. It was very helpful’. Edith, Merkland School. ‘As I hope you could tell on the evening the information you presented regarding alcohol and teenagers was very positively received and enormously welcomed. It is an issue that will affect all of us, both as parents and in the school context’. Cath, Canford School, Dorset. ‘For anybody who works in a school I can recommend inviting Alcohol Education Trust in to deliver a talk to parents. Sandra delivers a fantastic presentation, she is very knowledgeable and engaged all the parents’. Ruth, Eston Academy (via f/b page). ‘Fantastic sessions, which highlighted the dangers and risky behaviours associated with underage drinking. Excellent advice for the skills needed to stay safe when dealing with alcohol”. Paul, St Bede’s Catholic School & 6th Form College, (Lanchester, Durham). A note from Kathryn in the North West Kathryn has now had two terms to settle into her role in the North West as school and parent coordinator. “I would like to welcome Cockermouth School, Cartmel Priory and Dowdales School in Cumbria, St Christopher’s Church of England High School in Accrington and Brine Lees School in Nantwich, who are now all using our Teacher workbook and resources. I am also pleased to be working in partnership with Stockport, Manchester and Liverpool Healthy School networks and am delighted to say that all schools are now using our resources and workbook.” Kathryn is also working with 10 schools across Halton on a partnership project engaging hard to reach parents. To contact her, please email [email protected]. AET resources comprise of www.alcoholeducationtrust.org and www.talkaboutalcohol.com, a Teacher Workbook, booklets ‘Alcohol and You’ for 15yrs+ and ‘Talking to Your Kids About Alcohol’ parent and carer guide.