Drugs education at the transition from primary to secondary school: the pupils' views

This article explores pupils' views about drugs and drugs education as they move from primary to secondary school. Despite numerous new initiatives, h ealth educators are still trying to find more effective ways of providing d rugs education in schools Especially as the amount of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs consumed by young people is rising and the age of first usage declining. Ofsted identified the need for more British research. The resea rch pupils attended primary schools where alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug s were first taught about in year 6. Their voices reveal some interesting f indings. Some suggest that the 'message' was nor received, for example, on the dangers of alcohol. Conversely they often exaggerated the dangers of fi nding illicit drugs at secondary school and even thought people would be tr ying to force them to take them. However, these children approved of the dr ugs education they received. Once at secondary, school they became more cri tical of the drugs education at school.