Talk About Alcohol is a schools-based intervention aimed at reducing alcohol related problems for children and young people aged 11 to 18 years old. It is delivered by teachers, PSHE professionals, or youth leaders to classrooms for a period of six weeks.
The information above is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
12 to 13 years old
Group
Talk About Alcohol is a school-based intervention designed for young people 11 to 18 years old to reduce alcohol-related harm. It equips teachers with the tools to educate students about the risks of alcohol use and supports students in making informed decisions.
The intervention aims to delay the onset of drinking, encourage responsible choices, and reduce alcohol-related antisocial behaviour and is delivered over six lessons covering the following topics: assessing knowledge, alcohol and its effects, social and physical, units and guidelines, alcohol and the law, and staying safe.
The intervention teaches young people about the harmful effects of alcohol and provides them with strategies for refraining from alcohol use, using a range of resources, including teacher workbooks, structured lesson plans, DVDs, interactive online materials, and parental engagement tools. The Talk About Alcohol intervention is designed so that teachers can ‘pick and mix’ from a range of activities and resources according to the age, ability, and experience of the group.
11 to 18 years old
This intervention is universal and targets the general population of secondary school students aged 11 to 18 years old.
Disclaimer: The information in this section is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
Science-based assumption
Alcohol consumption is a societal issue of concern, leading to negative health and social outcomes.
Science-based assumption
Young people will be more likely to delay the age at which they start drinking and refrain from drinking too much if they know about the social and physical effects of alcohol, the law, social norms, and resilience strategies.
Science-based assumption
All young people between 11 and 18 years old.
Intervention
Young people are taught about the harmful physical and social effects of alcohol and are provided with strategies for making healthy balanced decisions about when to drink or if to drink, and how much to drink.
Short-term
Young people are more confident in resisting the temptation or peer pressure to drink.
Medium-term
Young people delay the age at which they start drinking (after age 15) and will be less likely to binge drink.
Long-term
Reduced risk of alcohol-related negative health and social outcomes.
Secondary school students 11 to 18 years old
Talk About Alcohol is delivered in six sessions of 50 minutes’ duration each by a teacher, PSHE professional, or youth leader to classrooms of children.
The practitioner who delivers this intervention is a teacher, PSHE professional, or youth leader
Practitioner training is recommended but not mandatory. The practitioners have two hours of intervention training. Booster training of practitioners is not required.
Practitioners (PSHE leads, teachers, and youth workers) are supported with six newsletters of updates and implementation/guidance advice each year as well as with ongoing phone/email support.
Intervention fidelity is maintained through the following processes:
Contact person: Kate Hooper
Organisation: The Talk About Trust
Email address: kate@talkabouttrust.org
Websites:
http://www.talkaboutalcohol.com
https://www.talkabouttrust.org
*Please note that this information may not be up to date. In this case, please visit the listed intervention website for up to date contact details.
Talk About Alcohol’s most rigorous evidence comes from a QED conducted in the United Kingdom consistent with Foundations’ Level 2 evidence strength threshold.
This study identified statistically significant improvements in knowledge about alcohol and delay in drinking onset.
Talk About Alcohol has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome, but we cannot be confident that the intervention caused the improvement.
| Identified in search | 5 |
| Studies reviewed | 1 |
| Meeting the L2 threshold | 1 |
| Meeting the L3 threshold | 0 |
| Contributing to the L4 threshold | 0 |
| Ineligible | 4 |
| Study design | QED |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sample characteristics | The study involved 4,410 children aged between 12 to 13 years old from 33 secondary schools in the United Kingdom |
| Race, ethnicities, and nationalities |
|
| Population risk factors | None reported |
| Timing |
|
| Child outcomes |
|
| Other outcomes | None |
| Study rating | 2 |
| Citations | Study 1a: Lynch, S., Styles, B., Dawson, A., Worth, J., Kerr, D. & Lloyd, J. (2013) Talk About Alcohol: An Evaluation of the Alcohol Education Trust’s intervention in secondary schools. National Foundation for Educational Research. Study 1b: Lynch, S., Dawson, A. & Worth, J. (2014) Talk About Alcohol: impact of a school-based alcohol intervention on early adolescents. International Journal of Health Promotion and Education. 52 (5), 283–299. Study 1c: Lynch, S., Worth, J. & Bradshaw, S. (2015) Evaluation of the Alcohol Education Trust’s Talk About Alcohol intervention: Longer-term follow up. National Foundation for Educational Research. |
The following studies were identified for this intervention but did not count towards the intervention’s overall evidence rating. An intervention receives the same rating as its most robust study or studies.
Gutman, L, (2016) An evaluation of the Alcohol Education Trust ‘Talk about Alcohol’ programme in three areas of England where alcohol related indices of harm are highest for under 18’s (LAPE). Institute of Education, University College London.
Note on provider involvement: This provider has agreed to Foundations’ terms of reference (or the Early Intervention Foundation's terms of reference), and the assessment has been conducted and published with the full cooperation of the intervention provider.
Rated 1: Set up and delivery is low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of less than £100.
Rated 2: Set up and delivery is medium-low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £100–£499.
Rated 3: Set up and delivery is medium cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £500–£999.
Rated 4: Set up and delivery is medium-high cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £1,000–£2,000.
Rating 5: Set up and delivery is high cost. Equivalent to an estimated unit cost of more than £2,000.
Set up and delivery cost is not applicable, not available, or has not been calculated.
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Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing child maltreatment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Enhancing school achievement & employment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing crime, violence and antisocial behaviour: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing substance abuse: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing risky sexual behaviour & teen pregnancy: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing obesity and promoting healthy physical development: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Rated 2: Has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome from a quantitative impact study, but there is not yet evidence of causal impact.
Rated 2+: Meets the level 2 rating and the best available evidence is based on a study which is more rigorous than a level 2 standard but does not meet the level 3 standard.
Rated 3: Has evidence of a short-term positive impact from at least one rigorous study.
Rated 3+: Meets the level 3 rating and has evidence from other studies with a comparison group at level 2 or higher.
Rated 4: Has evidence of a long-term positive impact through at least two rigorous studies.
Rated 4+: Meets the level 4 rating and has at least a third study contributing to the Level 4 rating, with at least one of the studies conducted independently of the intervention provider.
Rating has a *: The evidence base includes mixed findings i.e., studies suggesting positive impact alongside studies, which on balance, indicate no effect or negative impact.
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