Risky substances: What do I need to know about alcohol?
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Why this why now
As Year 8 pupils may begin encountering alcohol in social situations, they need accurate information about legal restrictions, health risks and safety strategies before experimentation occurs. This unit provides essential knowledge about alcohol's physical and mental health effects, empowers pupils to resist peer pressure, and equips them with practical harm-reduction strategies. At this developmental stage, establishing informed attitudes towards alcohol supports safer decision-making throughout adolescence and into adulthood.
Prior knowledge requirements
- Pupils should understand from Year 7 that alcohol is a substance that affects the body and brain, and that it is illegal for people under 18 to buy or be sold alcohol in England.
- Pupils should be familiar with peer pressure and refusal skills from previous units, recognising that making independent choices about risky substances is important for health and safety.
- Pupils should know from earlier learning about the importance of making informed decisions for wellbeing, and understand that asking for help or advice when unsure is responsible behaviour.
Threads
Why this why now
As Year 8 pupils may begin encountering alcohol in social situations, they need accurate information about legal restrictions, health risks and safety strategies before experimentation occurs. This unit provides essential knowledge about alcohol's physical and mental health effects, empowers pupils to resist peer pressure, and equips them with practical harm-reduction strategies. At this developmental stage, establishing informed attitudes towards alcohol supports safer decision-making throughout adolescence and into adulthood.
Prior knowledge requirements
- Pupils should understand from Year 7 that alcohol is a substance that affects the body and brain, and that it is illegal for people under 18 to buy or be sold alcohol in England.
- Pupils should be familiar with peer pressure and refusal skills from previous units, recognising that making independent choices about risky substances is important for health and safety.
- Pupils should know from earlier learning about the importance of making informed decisions for wellbeing, and understand that asking for help or advice when unsure is responsible behaviour.
Risky substances: What do I need to know about alcohol?
This unit examines the laws around alcohol, its physical and mental health effects, and strategies for staying safe. Pupils learn about legal restrictions, understand the risks of alcohol consumption, and develop skills to make informed, safe decisions.
3 lessons in unit
slide decks, worksheet PDFs, quizzes and lesson overviews. You can select individual lessons from the Risky substances: What do I need to know about alcohol? unit and download the resources you need, or download the entire unit now. See every unit listed in our secondary rshe (pshe) curriculum and discover more of our teaching resources for secondary rshe (pshe) programmes.