Formative Assessments in PSHE: Drugs Alcohol and Tobacco Survey

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PSHE discussion scenarios for drugs, alcohol and tobacco - teacher notes

These questions feature hypothetical situations relating to drugs, alcohol and tobacco, to which students are asked to respond honestly and anonymously. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions: instead, whole class responses can be projected (or written) onto a whiteboard for a plenary discussion, in which students express and explore their opinions about the relevant issues. Please note that most of the questions are phrased ‘What happens next?’ Students are being asked to decide what they think the different characters will actually decide to do in these situations. This will allow them to explore their ideas more freely without feeling that they need to pick the response the teacher is hoping for.

The following notes offer a few starting points to stimulate class discussion:

Scenario: Tom and Greg are 16, and have started drinking. Their parents say ‘It’s harmless’. Now they have been caught swigging from a bottle of vodka at lunchtime, and the Head calls them to his office. What happens next?

Issues to debate might include:

• The school rules at your own school

• The parents’ attitude to drink

• The effect of the boys’ drinking on others

• The health risks of drinking

• The difference between spirits and beer or wine

• The duty of the Headmaster

• The law surrounding underage drinking

Scenario: Dave and his new girlfriend Marie are at a party where a lot of his friends are taking ecstasy. They are putting pressure on him and Marie to take some too. Dave has never taken drugs before but Marie has. What happens next?

Issues to debate might include:

• The effects of ecstasy as opposed to other drugs

• How the relationship between Dave, Marie and Dave’s friends might affect his actions

• The health risks of taking ecstasy

• The legal implications of taking ecstasy, or being at a party where it is taken

Scenario: Dawn goes out to celebrate her sixteenth birthday with her eighteen-year-old cousin Helen. Helen takes her to a club where Helen’s boyfriend gives Dawn an ecstasy tablet. Dawn is later taken ill and dies. Who was to blame for what happened?

Issues to debate might include:

• The difficulties parents/carers face in trying to give their children freedom as well as keeping them safe

• The ages of the different people involved

• The different pressures on each of the people involved

• The moral choices each person has made

• The legal choices each person has made

• The health risks of taking ecstasy

Scenario: Jess is 16 and started smoking after she got involved with a new group of friends. Her parents have always been against smoking after her grandfather died of lung cancer. One day, Jess’s mother finds a packet of cigarettes in her jeans pocket and tells her that she must stop seeing her new friends and stop smoking too. What happens next?

Issues to debate might include:

• The reasons behind Jess’ mother’s concerns

• The health risks of smoking

• Jess’ right to choose her own friends

• Jess’ right to decide whether or not she smokes

• Jess’ mother’s right to control her daughter

• The importance of family and the responsibilities of family members

Scenario: Laura’s parents have gone away for the weekend but have given permission for her to hold a party, providing that they know who is coming and there is no alcohol involved. On the night of the party, a group of people turn up uninvited, with several crates of beer. Laura is most likely to avoid trouble by…

Issues to debate might include:

• The difficult balance between parental expectation and peer pressure

• The importance of trust between parents/carers and children

• The effect of alcohol on behaviour

• The reasons why Laura’s parents made their request

• The possible long- and short-term social implications of Laura’s actions

Scenario: Chris comes from a fairly strict family background, but has secretly been smoking cannabis for a few months. One Friday night, his friend Jay suggests that they try some cocaine he has got from his older brother. Jay goes first, and snorts a large quantity. He begins to have a seizure and convulses on the floor. What happens next?

Issues to debate might include:

• Chris’ top priority for action in this situation

• Chris’ relationship with his parents

• Who is responsible for the accident

• The health risks of using cocaine

• The legal implications of the situation

• Cannabis as a ‘gateway drug’

Scenario: Gemma knows that her sister Leanne regularly takes ecstasy when she goes clubbing at the weekend. Gemma wants to try the drug, and asks Leanne to give her one of her tablets, which she has got from a dealer she trusts. Leanne refuses, but Gemma says she will buy ecstasy off the streets if Leanne will not give her some. What happens next?

Issues to debate might include:

• The differing quality of street drugs

• Experimenting with drugs as safely as possible

• The function of elder siblings as role models

• The effects and risks of using ecstasy

Scenario: Wayne has two children – Jamie and Nina. Nina’s grades have recently fallen, and Jamie has been getting in fights at school. Wayne is getting a glass from his drinks cabinet one day when he realises that several bottles at the back of the cupboard are empty. What happens next?

Issues to debate might include:

• The importance of trust between parents/carers and their children

• The dangers of alcohol abuse

• The importance of good communication between parents/carers and their children

• The role of parents and schools in alcohol education

• The age of the students involved, and whether this makes any difference

Scenario: Anthony has never taken drugs, but his friend Terry has tried most things. During a locker check at school, a bag of cannabis is found in Anthony’s locker – in Terry’s PE bag. What happens next?

Issues to debate might include:

• The tensions between loyalty to friends and honesty

• The long- and short-term consequences of Anthony’s actions

• The legal implications of possessing cannabis

• The difference between using cannabis and supplying it

Scenario: Sarah is asthmatic. One day she is walking to school when she meets a group of people from her class who are smoking. They stop her and say she can’t carry on until she has smoked a cigarette. What happens next?

Issues to debate might include:

• The health implications of smoking

• The long-term and short-term consequences of Sarah’s actions

• Peer pressure and the difficulty of making your own decisions

• The difficulty of living with bullying