Outline Drugs Policy
www.neelb.org.uk
Web Site Download
Dolores Davidson
PDMU Team
2010/2011
Outline Drugs Policy
Outline drugs policy for primary, post-primary
and special schools
Section 1: Introduction
a) Ethos
• The atmosphere/ethos of a school reflects the extent to which a
school promotes the moral, intellectual, personal and social
development of its pupils.
• A good ethos is achieved by the principal, SMT and staff providing
and facilitating an atmosphere of care and respect within the curricular
and extra-curricular life of the school community
b) Rationale
• Why teach drugs education in school?
• Brief reference to youth culture and drug use
• A brief but realistic statement about the role of the school in
preventing/delaying the onset of drug use.
c) Drugs Definitions
• A drug is any substance which when taken, alters the way a person
behaves, feels, sees or thinks.
• “Illegal drugs” are those substances listed as controlled drugs e.g.
cannabis, ecstasy, heroin, cocaine and magic mushrooms.
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Outline Drugs Policy
• “Illicit drugs” include socially unacceptable legal drugs e.g. poppers,
solvents and underage consumption of alcohol and tobacco.
• “Prescription drugs” are those which are issued on prescription by a
doctor (also known as ‘over the counter drugs’) e.g. tranquilisers,
sleeping tablets, strong pain killers.
d) Aims of Drugs Education Policy
• To provide a clear statement of the school’s view on drug education.
• To ensure a consistent approach from staff to drug education and in
the handling of drug related incidents.
• To safeguard good practice in the future.
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Outline Drugs Policy
Section 2: Development and Implementation
a) Roles and responsibilities
• Board of governors
• Principal
• Designated teacher
• All other staff
• All non-teaching staff
b) Staff training
• Selection of suitable staff to teach drugs education
• Who provides training?
• Who is trained?
• How often?
c) Overview of your drug education programme
• Its place within the Personal Development/PDMU programme
• Time allocated to Drugs Education within the PD/PDMU programme
• Supported by pastoral care programme throughout the school
• Links with relevant areas of learning e.g. Science, RE, PE and English
and other strands of Learning for Life and Work e.g. HE
• Possibility of specialised drug education lessons delivered by
specialist staff
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• Provision and use of adequate/suitable resources e.g. Living, Learning
Together (Primary),
Insync (KS3) and NEELB Drugs Education schemes.
• Methods of delivery
- Pupil-centred/active learning
- Preventative education
- Special events e.g. drug awareness day
• Aims of your drug education programme e.g.
- To promote positive attitudes towards personal health.
- To inform pupils of the effects of drug use and abuse.
- To help pupils acquire skills in managing the pressures of the
youth culture in which they live.
- To build up the self-esteem of the pupils.
- To help pupils acquire decision-making skills.
- To create a climate where a young person feels comfortable to
discuss problems around substance misuse.
- To encourage a participative approach in which each pupil is
actively involved.
- To encourage a healthy and critical respect for all substances
taken into the body.
- Skills that will empower them to take responsibility for their own
health and safety.
d) Staff use of smoking and alcohol
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Outline Drugs Policy
• School as smoke-free premises (refer to separate policy)
• Refer to ‘Drugs and Alcohol in the Workplace Guidance’ obtainable
from the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland.
e) Communicating the policy to parents and other relevant agencies
• Involving parents in the consultation process
• Informing parents how to access the policy
• Informing any agencies working in school of your policy
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Outline Drugs Policy
Section 3: Management of Substance-Related Issues
a) Procedures for managing drug-related incidents
- For substances found on the school premises
- For finding/suspecting a pupil in possession of drugs
- For dealing with a pupil under the influence of drugs
- Searching and detaining pupils
b) A range of disciplinary measures
– the police and the courts differentiate between cases of possession,
possession with intent to supply and supply; so should schools
c) Confidentiality
– schools can never guarantee confidentiality to pupils; any criminal
activity around drugs disclosed must be passed on to the designated
teacher, PSNI and NEELB/CCMS
d) Procedures for using outside agencies in school (see pages 24 & 25
of CCEA guidance)
e) Emergency First Aid procedures in the event of substance abuse.
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f) Guidance for confiscation and storage of harmful substances
g) Guidance on storage, handling and disposal of hazardous
substances (cleaning fluids, glues etc)
h) Guidelines on administration of medication in school (As of
December 2008, DENI directs schools to have a separate policy on
administering medicines in schools. Schools should refer to the DENI
guidance ’Supporting Pupils with Medication Needs’, available on the
DENI website.)
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Section 4: Monitoring and evaluation
a) Review of policy and procedures (especially after an incident);
frequency.
b) Criteria for evaluating success of the programme
- Who monitors the programme?
- Sources of feedback – pupils, parents, teachers
- Frequency of evaluation
- Implementing any necessary changes
Section 5: Appendices
• Drug Education programme
• Pupil and staff evaluation sheets
• Drug Education audit sheets
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