The Coalition

What we know so far

The emerging picture

• Policies and speeches

• Health policy developments

• Education policy developments

• Taxation review

Andrew Lansley’s speech

• “So that young people see drug use and binge drinking not as a sign of being adult but as evidence of their immaturity.”

• “So that peer pressure and expectations drive greater responsibility.”

• “We will not be dictating the ‘how’ when it comes to achieving better public health outcomes. But we will be very clear about the ‘what’ – what we want to measure and achieve…”

“We will not be dictating the how”

• Impact on public health

• How will schools know where to seek advice?

• How will schools know what works?

• How to implement effective programmes

Anne Milton on Alcohol Policy

• Giving young people skills to make decisions • Encouraging responsible behaviour• Changing our relationship with alcohol• Cooperation across Whitehall but no mention

of the DfE – an oversight?• Taxation review – deadline 31st August • Responsibility Deal – direct funding from

industries

NHS White Paper• Commissioning• Public health ring-fenced• Local authorities to have control of public

health budget• “The Department will continue to work

closely with the Department for Education on services for children, to … support local health, education and social care services to work together for children and families”

Department for Education

• The new primary curriculum - cancelled

• The Curriculum is going back to its original purpose

• Focus on core subjects – PSHE?

• Free schools and academies – how can we influence drug and alcohol education in these settings outside of central control?

Young people’s alcohol consumption and its relationship to other outcomes and

behaviour

• Girls and white young people more likely to drink and to drink more often

• Link between being bullied and drinking • Risk factors: truanting, shoplifting, smoking,

smoking cannabis, parties, pubs.• Protective factors: religion, free school meals,

family, improving attitudes,

Search powers in schools

• Search powers without consent to be extended from 1st September

• Will include: - knives, weapons, drugs, alcohol, legal highs, cigarettes, stolen property, pornography, fireworks, personal electronic devices.

Other developments

• Cost effectiveness of alcohol education: a programme that cost £75m but led to a reduction of consumption amongst young people by at least 1.4% would be cost effective

• Tell Us survey – cancelled