Alcohol Education for Young People: What Works

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Alcohol Education for Young People What Works?

• Dr Linda Wright
• Presented at the 3rd European Forum for
  Responsible Drinking, Brussels,
• October 19th 2005. The Amsterdam Group

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Alcohol Education

• Planned opportunities for people to learn
  about alcohol
• Much broader than work in schools
• Most of the evidence relates to school settings

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Expectations of Alcohol Education

• Should Prevent ? drinking, delay onset or
  reduce consumption
• ? alcohol-related harm

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Wheres the Evidence?

• Limitations of the evidence
• What does it tell us?

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Limitations of the evidence

• Single paradigm (scientific)
• Ignores the complex realities of young
  peoples lives
• Criteria for success are incompatible with
  educational goals
• Focus on what rather than how
• Ignores process of educational change

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What does the evidence tell us?

• Alcohol education can achieve educational goals
• Some evidence that alcohol education can defer
  onset of use and reduce the amount young people
  drink, but latter may be short lived
• Recent studies show harm reduction goals are
  achievable

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What works What doesnt

• Knowledge
• Long term consequences
• Short term effects
• Attitudes
• Correcting perceived peer norms
• Media and social influences
• Interpersonal Skills
• Refusal
• Assertiveness
• Communication
• Safety
• Intrapersonal Skills (if combined with
  interpersonal skills)
• Self esteem, coping, stress reduction, goal
  setting, decision making.

• Values
• Ethical / moral decision making
• Intrapersonal Skills without interpersonal skills

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What works What doesnt

• Delivery
• Participatory
• Peer interaction
• Rehearsal of drug refusal skills
• Role plays (student generated)
• Peer modelling of appropriate behaviour

• Delivery
• Unstructured talk
• Lectures
• Teacher - centred class discussion
• Passive participation

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What Works

• Social and life skills
• Interactive approaches
• Correcting perceived social norms
• Peer-led
• Family Skills programmes
• Brief Interventions with college students
• Computer simulations in community settings
• Integration in wider community based initiatives

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Alternative routes to prevent alcohol misuse

• 2 groups of prevention strategies
• ? individually based
• ? population based
• Is your approach to alcohol education
  evidence-based?