24th July 2025
New statutory RSHE guidance for schools This new guidance focuses primarily on RSHE and provides a welcome focus on the importance of prevention, early intervention, kindness, practical safety, safeguarding and disclosure at the heart of education. As ever, the pressures on teachers to acquire the practical skills, subject knowledge and to have enough curriculum time remains as difficult as ever and we are here to provide that for all aspects of drug, alcohol and nicotine education —we are part of the vital support networks for both primary and secondary schools to ensure the revised policy delivers on its promise to help every young person navigate life with confidence and thrive in safe, healthy, and respectful relationships. See www.talkabouttrust.org for a wealth of fantastic resources which will help you address the requirements. Examples can be found below:
Drugs and Nicotine Education Workbook
Available to download in its entirety or as individual chapters looking at drugs, alcohol, cannabis, vaping and where's the harm. If you are a school, please email kate@talkabouttrust.org to access this.
Drink spiking resources
We have awareness cards and a range of informative posters which you can order via kate@talkabouttrust.org . In addition, visit Spiking | Life Stuff for a wealth of spiking information and advice including the prevalence of spiking, how to prevent it and what to do if you suspect you or a friend have been spiked.
'Alcohol and You' online leaflet for young people
Our online leaflet contains so much valuable information for young people around alcohol including: Statistics Top tips Units and gudelines The law The effects on the body What to do if things go wrong Plus lots more! Download it via Alcohol-and-you-leaflet.pdf
Quitting Vaping
This handy resource offers advice on how to support young people who would like to give up vaping and nicotine products. You can download it via Supporting young people to give up Vaping or nicotine products | Talk About Trust
In relation to alcohol and other drug education the statutory requirements include welcome and much needed inclusion of understanding how to increase personal safety while drinking alcohol, including how to decrease the risks of having a drink spiked or of poisoning from potentially fatal substances such as methanol. Also detailed is: - The inclusion of education on the increased risk of potent synthetic drugs being added to illegal drugs and the risks of illicit vapes containing drugs (such as Spice). - How the use of alcohol and drugs can lead people to take risks in their sexual behaviour - The facts about legal and illegal harmful substances and associated risks, including smoking, vaping, alcohol use and drug-taking. - That the co-occurrence of alcohol/drug use and poor mental health is common and that the relationship is bi-directional: mental health problems can increase the risk of alcohol/drug use, and alcohol/drug use can trigger mental health problems or exacerbate existing ones. - That stopping smoking can improve people’s mental health and decrease anxiety. - The risks of illegal behaviours online, including drug and knife supply or the sale or purchasing of illicit drugs online. - The facts about which drugs are illegal, the risks of taking illegal drugs, including the increased risk of potent synthetic drugs being added to illegal drugs, the risks of illicit vapes containing drugs, illicit drugs and counterfeit medicines, and the potential health harms, including the link to poor mental health. - The law relating to the supply and possession of illegal substances. - The physical and psychological risks associated with alcohol consumption. - What constitutes low risk alcohol consumption in adulthood, and the legal age of sale for alcohol in England. - Understanding how to increase personal safety while drinking alcohol, including how to decrease the risks of having a drink spiked or of poisoning from potentially fatal substances such as methanol. - The physical and psychological consequences of problem-use of alcohol, including alcohol dependency. - The dangers of the misuse of prescribed and over-the-counter medicines. - The facts about the multiple serious harms from smoking tobacco (particularly the link to lung cancer and cardiovascular disease), the benefits of quitting and how to access support to do so. - The facts about vaping, including the harms posed to young people, and the role that vapes can play in helping adult smokers to quit. - Grooming or exploiting children into criminal activity, which can include gang involvement and county lines drug running You can read the full detail here: Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education guidance