? Opening address ? Drug Education Forum, present and future

The following is the introduction to our recent seminar by Brian Dobson the Chair of the Drug Education Forum.

First of all, a very warm welcome to this varied range of policymakers and practitioners in the field of drug education. This is the last…
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? Supporting Drug Education Is Vital

David Cameron in a recent online interview reconfirmed his commitment to drug education in schools saying:

?education about drugs is vital and we should make sure that education programmes are there in our schools and we should make sure that…
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? Smoking Drinking and Drug Use 2009

While it is good news that drug use and smoking are falling amongst young people, and the numbers who have never drunk is rising, we believe there is still much more that needs to be done to help make sure that children get the best drug education possible.
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? Drugs Guidance to Schools – Consultation

Children want much better drug education and we must respond.

Schools have a hugely important part to play in making sure that the information that children and young people receive about all drugs is accurate and credible. We are sure that this guidance will be welcomed by all those that work to help children and young people avoid the harms that drugs can do.
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? PSHE

Speaking as the government confirmed their commitment to making PSHE a compulsory part of the school curriculum by September 2011, Stephen Burgess, Chairman of the Drug Education Forum, said: At long last the government is according the health and…
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? Stephen Burgess New Chair of the Drug Education Forum

Stephen Burgess, National Director of Coram Life Education, has been elected Chairman of the Drug Education Forum.
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? Eric Carlin stands down as Chair of the Drug Education Forum

Statement from Eric Carlin as he steps down as Chair of the Drug Education Forum and an appreciation from Stephen Burgess, Vice Chair of the Forum.
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? Smoking Drinking and Drug Use by Young People

Speaking as the annual report on smoking drinking and drug use by young people in England was published Eric Carlin, Chair of the Drug Education Forum, said:

When half a million young people are estimated to have drunk alcohol in the last week, and…
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? VSA Deaths 2007

The Drug Education Forum today reminded parents and drug educators that it remains important to keep in mind the very real dangers that children and young people face if they sniff glue, gas, aerosols or solvents.
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? Teenage Summer Binge Drinking Campaign

Comment on the government’s funding for local partnerships to tackle young people’s public drinking in the summer of 2009.
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? Media Statement – Too Much Too Young

We welcome the committee?s recommendation that alcohol play a more prominent role in drug education. Excellent drug education starts from understanding the needs of the young people we are teaching, and in our view this means keeping a focus on alcohol.
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? Drug Education Forum welcomes PSHE Report

The Drug Education Forum welcomed the recommendations from Sir Alastair Macdonald?s independent review of the proposal to make Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education statutory.
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? Drug Education; an entitlement for all

The Drug Education Forum welcomes the publication of the Advisory Group on Drug and Alcohol Education’s report, Drug Education; an entitlement for all.

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? Response to Safe Social Sensible

The Drug Education Forum’s response to the Department of Health?s consultation on the next steps in the alcohol strategy. Our focus is on improving the education and advice that children and young people receive about alcohol.
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[Download: Response to Safe Social Sensible]

? Response to Preventing the uptake of smoking by children: consultation on the draft guidance

The Drug Education Forum have made the following comments on the draft guidance from NICE on preventing the uptake of smoking by children.

Recommendation 1:

“be informed by research that identifies and understands the target audiences”

“include…
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? Drug Strategy – Comment

The Drug Education Forum comments on the publication of the drug strategy.
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? Submission to ACMD on Cannabis Review

The following is the Drug Education Forum’s submission to the ACMD for their review of cannabis.

Drug Education and Cannabis Classification

The Drug Education Forum as a group interested in educational outcomes and the wellbeing of children and…
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? Media Statement – Alcohol Strategy

Eric Carlin, the Chair of the Drug Education Forum, commenting on the government?s alcohol strategy said: The government?s focus on young people as part of the alcohol strategy is welcome. But we are unhappy that there is not more public…
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? Media Statement – Welcome for Gordon Brown?s commitment to drug education

Reacting to Gordon Brown?s comments that drug education in primary schools should be central to the next drug strategy, Eric Carlin, Chair of the Drug Education Forum, said:

We welcome what Gordon Brown is saying about the importance of drug…
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