Special Needs and Drug Education

Taking drugs is complex and there are concerns about the best ways of addressing drugs issues in schools--particularly for pupils with special educational needs. Many teachers are worried about discussing drugs with their pupils. They fear that they know too little and that some of their pupils may know too much. They also worry that talking about drugs to naive children may raise their interest. Yet the government expects all pupils to receive drug education and requires all schools to have a drug policy. It has ambitious targets in reducing the use of drugs by young people. This book aims to help teachers of pupils with special educational needs to assess what their contribution should be and identify what the particular issues associated with their pupils are. It will help schools to: Create or revise a drugs policy Plan a program of study Deliver drug education appropriate to their pupils Deal with drug related incident

Richard Ives is Honorary Research Fellow, Institute for Policy Studies in Education, London Metropolitan University. He is Managing Director of Educari, an organisation with a mission to improve young people's experience of learning, particularly in relation to drugs.