This document discusses Coram Life Education's approach to primary drug education. It focuses on providing knowledge to students in a way that does no harm by avoiding scare tactics and traditional approaches that may not be effective. Instead, it emphasizes a three-pronged approach covering knowledge, attitudes, and skills. It also discusses using social norms theory to correct students' misperceptions about peer behaviors related to smoking, drinking, and drugs by teaching them the actual norms. The goal is to positively impact behaviors by addressing the social influences that shape young people's decisions.

1. First do no harm
Primary Drug Education –
First do no harm
Pete Kirby
Programme Development Manager
Coram Life Education
www.coramlifeeducation.org.uk

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Work with over 3,500
primary schools
See 800,000
children per
annum
In UK since
mid-eighties

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Feedback via
headteacher /
Ofsted Inspector

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Three Strand
Approach
Knowledge
Attitudes
Skills

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What percentage of Y8s in Gloucestershire have
never or not often smoked a cigarette?
• 51.4%
• 72.9%
• 96.5%
NB This has increased
from 91.9% in 2006

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What percentage of Y10 in Gloucestershire report
being OK, good or very good at making and
keeping friends?
• 73.2%
• 83.2%
• 93.2%

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What percentage of Y8s in Gloucestershire report
having never or not often drunk alcohol?
• 45.3%
• 62.1%
• 85.1%
• And over half of Y10 (53.8%)

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What percentage of Y8s and Y10s in Gloucestershire
have not tried illegal drugs
• 78.9%
• 85.5%
• 93.1%
NB This has increased
from 90.3% in 2006

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What is the role of knowledge
in shaping our decisions?

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“People don‟t
smoke for the
reasons they
shouldn‟t smoke”

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Do traditional
approaches to health
education work?
e.g. show them
what it‟s like to be
drunk!

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Do traditional approaches to
health education work?
Teach them about
responsible
drinking – safe
units and all that!

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Do traditional approaches
to health education work?
Tell them the risks
and they
won‟t want to do it!

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Do traditional
approaches to health
education work?
Let‟s make it really
scary!...

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Do traditional
approaches to
health education
work?
…and tell them
how bad the
scale of the
problem is!

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What are social
norms?
•Humans are group oriented
•We are largely influenced by and
conform to peer norms

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Professor
Wesley
Perkins:
The „father of
social norms
marketing”
www.alcoholeducationproject.org

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVIBfY35dGw

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Social norms theory in a nutshell:
•We are largely influenced by what
we think our peers are doing
•Young people (and indeed adults)
tend to overestimate the amount of
risky behaviour their peers are
engaged in
•If you can correct people‟s
misperceptions of risky behaviour
then you can positively impact on
those behaviours.

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What‟s the problem with this?

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Spot the odd one out

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Spot the odd one out

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Spot the odd one out

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Revision of our learning outcomes to include:
Understand that bullying is unacceptable, but know
that for most of the time, most children do not take
part in bullying behaviour, or experience bullying.
Understand that increasing numbers of young people
are choosing not to smoke or drink alcohol
Understand the actual norms around smoking /
alcohol use and the reasons for common
misperceptions of these.

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“The approaches which appear to be most
effective are those based on social
influences and life skills...”
Drug prevention programmes in schools:
What is the evidence? (Mentor)

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The challenge for drug
education educators

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Primary Drug Education –
First do no harm
Pete Kirby
Programme Development Manager
Coram Life Education
www.coramlifeeducation.org.uk