SHAHRP Teachers Manual

SHAHRP
School Health and Alcohol Harm Reduction Project
ANNUAL
REPORT
Teaching
Manual
2009
Reducing alcohol use and harm with young people
The National Drug Research Institute is funded by the Australian Government

Department of Health and Ageing under the National Drug Strategy
WHO Collaborating Centre for the Prevention of Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Tier 1 Research Centre
www.ndri.curtin.edu.au
Street Address:
National Drug Research Institute
Curtin University
Health Research Campus
Level 2, 10 Selby Street, Shenton Park,
Perth, Western Australia, 6008
Postal Address:
Curtin University
GPO Box U1987
Perth, Western Australia, 6845
Telephone: (08) 9266 1600
Facsimile: (08) 9266 1611
Email: ndri@curtin.edu.au
CRICOS Provider Code: WA 00301J, NSW 02637B
2010027
School Health and Alcohol Harm Reduction Project (SHAHRP)

Teaching Manual
Fourth Edition

Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845
ISBN 978-0-9807054-7-8
Further information is available on the SHAHRP website at

ndri.curtin.edu.au/shahrp
Impact of the SHAHRP program on young peoples behaviour

The School Health and Alcohol Harm Reduction Project (SHAHRP) program has been
evaluated in Australia and Northern Ireland for its behavioural impact on young people.
It was found, in both countries, that participation in the SHAHRP program can change
young peoples alcohol related behaviours, leading to safer outcomes in alcohol
related situations. In Australia, students who participated in the SHAHRP program were
compared with other students who participated in regular alcohol education. SHAHRP
students were found to have:

10% greater alcohol related knowledge.
20% lower alcohol consumption (total).
19.5% less risky alcohol consumption (binge drinking).
33% less harm associated with their own consumption of alcohol.
10% less harm associated with other peoples consumption of alcohol.
The SHAHRP program was particularly successful with early risky drinkers. Early
unsupervised drinkers from the SHAHRP group experienced 18.4% less alcohol related
harm after participating in both phases of the program and this difference was maintained
17 months after completion of the program.
Importance of teaching the SHAHRP program as it is presented

The behavioural impact of the SHAHRP program has been demonstrated when the
program is taught in full as presented in the teacher manual. It is not advisable to teach
only parts of the SHAHRP program.
SHAHRP research publications

Research publications associated with the behavioural findings of the Australian SHAHRP
longitudinal study are available on the SHAHRP website at ndri.curtin.edu.au/shahrp.
Updating the SHAHRP program

The SHAHRP Refresh project (funded by Healthway) has provided scope to update
aspects of SHAHRP resources and to refine some of the program information. No
changes have been made to program activities, ensuring the behavioural impact of the
program is maintained.
Updates to the program include:

A systematic literature review of the drug education field.
Changes to prevalence data.
Details of reference data to support the resources (provided on the SHAHRP website
at ndri.curtin.edu.au/shahrp), for example, the effects of alcohol on brain development
in adolescence.
Details of additional harms experienced by contemporary youth, and harm reduction

strategies associated with these harms, for example, social networking risks.
Functional changes that make it easier to use the resources, for example, tagged
lesson pages, and providing a digital version of the SHAHRP trigger visual.
All modifications made to the SHAHRP program were based on input from Key
Informants who have been using the SHAHRP program for several years.
Acknowledgements
The School Health and Alcohol Harm Reduction Project (SHAHRP) study was researched
and developed at the National Drug Research Institute (NDRI), Curtin University and
funded by the Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation (Healthway).
The NDRI researchers responsible for the initial SHAHRP study were Nyanda McBride,
Richard Midford and Fiona Farringdon. Key writer of the original SHAHRP intervention
materials was Helen Cahill from the Youth Research Centre, University of Melbourne.
Contributing writers were Marg Sheehan from the Youth Research Centre and Fiona
Farringdon. The content and style of the SHAHRP materials were based on formative
research including: evidence based components from drug education scientific literature;
focus groups with young people; and modifications made after piloting the program with
teachers and students in schools.
Contributors to the SHAHRP intervention materials include: Year 10 students involved in
study focus groups, pilot and longitudinal study teachers and students.
Researchers responsible for the changes made to SHAHRP in the SHAHRP Refresh
Project include Clare Stevens, Nyanda McBride, Fiona Farrington and Michael McKay.
Key Informants who have been using SHAHRP materials for several years provided
valuable input.
In addition, we would like to acknowledge the assistance of:
Darren Skov for his assistance in linking the SHAHRP materials to the overarching
learning outcomes of the Western Australian Curriculum Framework and the Health and
Physical Education learning area outcomes (details available on the SHAHRP website at
ndri.curtin.edu.au/shahrp).
The Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services for granting permission
to use the How Will You Feel Tomorrow video from the How Will You Feel Tomorrow
education kit.
The Transport Accident Commission for granting permission to use the Bush Telegraph
commercial.
The Youth Research Centre for granting permission to use the video from the Rethinking
Drinking program (Rethinking Drinking was funded by the Australian Brewers
Foundation).
St Johns Ambulance staff for their assistance in identifying appropriate first aid
procedures for the Phase Two lessons.
Table of Contents
Introduction to the SHAHRP program
Research evidence basis of the SHAHRP program
12
The harm minimisation approach used by SHAHRP
15
Phase One
17
Lesson 1 - The big picture
18
Lesson 2 - Why people use alcohol
25
Lesson 3 - Alcohol and the body
28
Lesson 4 - Whats in a drink?
31
Lesson 5 - Identifying harms and strategies
34
Lesson 6 - Mastering media messages
37
Lesson 7 - Decisions
39
Lesson 8 - Harm busters
50
Phase Two
59
Lesson 9 - Standard drinks
60
Lesson 10 - The party
62
Lesson 11 - Vulnerability
64
Lesson 12 - Dealing with harms
68
Lesson 13 - Risk ranking
71
Lesson 14 - Getting it said
78
Lesson 15 - Helping a friend
85
INTRODUCTION TO THE SHAHRP PROGRAM

What is SHAHRP?
The School Health and Alcohol Harm Reduction Project (SHAHRP) is a program available
for use in schools and other settings that, if implemented as documented, can reduce
risky drinking and alcohol related harm in young people.
SHAHRP is the first school alcohol harm reduction program in the world to assess its
participants for behavioural outcomes. The program has been proven to be markedly
successful in improving the knowledge, attitudes and, most importantly, drinking
behaviours of young people. The SHAHRP program was researched, developed,
implemented and evaluated by the National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University,
Perth, Western Australia.
Since its commencement, SHAHRP has received several awards for its work in reducing
alcohol-related harm in young people. SHAHRP is used by teachers and others both
nationally and internationally.
Previous alcohol education in schools

School alcohol education programs are often criticised for not impacting on young
peoples behaviour. This is partly because, in the past, school alcohol education has
tended to focus exclusively on abstinence or just say no. SHAHRP is based on the
realistic assumption that most high school students will drink or find themselves in
situations where others are drinking. Rather than aiming for abstinence, SHAHRP focuses
on reducing the level of alcohol related harms in young people who drink or socialise
with others who are drinking. However, not using alcohol is embraced as a valid and
important harm reduction strategy.
Why does the SHAHRP program work?

The SHAHRP program is based on the experiences of young people. During the formative
development of the program, SHAHRP researchers conducted a series of focus groups
with young people to identify their alcohol use experiences, alcohol related harms that
are of particular concern to young people, harm reduction strategies used by young
people, and educational approaches likely to be effective with young people. Therefore
the SHAHRP program materials have a basis in the reality of alcohol-related situations
experienced by young people.
The SHAHRP program is evidence-based. During program development, particular
attention was given to ensuring that SHAHRP incorporated the latest evidence by
including results from systematic literature reviews of school drug education.
A pilot of the SHAHRP program was tested by teachers and students prior to full
implementation. Modifications to the program were made based on teachers and
students comments, to ensure SHAHRP was workable in real life situations.
Details of the SHAHRP program

The SHAHRP lessons are conducted in two phases with eight lessons (60 minutes each) in
the first year of the program (Phase One) and seven booster lessons (50 minutes each) in
the following year (Phase Two).
Phase One of the program is targeted at students prior to a time when a high proportion
of them have started experimenting with alcohol. This allows the students to gain
alcohol harm reduction skills and strategies immediately prior to the adoption of a new
behaviour.
Phase Two provides reinforcement and additional knowledge and skills during a time
when most students have started experimenting with alcohol, ensuring that information
is immediately relevant. This period of experimentation often exposes teenagers to a
higher level of risk due to the type of drinking generally undertaken (bingeing) and their
relative inexperience in handling the changes brought about by alcohol in themselves and
in others.
The SHAHRP program components include:

Training:
Training was conducted before each phase of the original SHAHRP study. During
Phase One, teachers/facilitators were provided with an overview of the study behavioural
outcomes, evidence-based components, and interactive modeling of each Phase One
activity. Phase Two training provided interactive modeling of Phase Two activities. Trainers
who are experienced in interactive techniques are recommended as SHAHRP teachers/
facilitators.
Manual:
The manual provides specific written guidance for teachers and facilitators.
The manual includes detailed and structured lesson plans including sample questions
to help facilitate discussion and debriefing of activities, coaching points to aid in the
management of the activities, and background information about alcohol-related issues.
Student workbooks:
Student workbooks are available for each phase to stimulate and

engage students interest, provide information, encourage students to further explore
issues and to record what they have learned as a way of consolidating practical activities.
Trigger: The SHAHRP Trigger features scenarios that young people may experience in
alcohol use situations and is used to prompt discussion about how to minimize the harms
associated with alcohol use.
The SHAHRP manual and student workbooks, as well as other program details, are
available on the SHAHRP website at ndri.curtin.edu.au/shahrp.
Results
After Phase One (8 x 60 minute lessons, 13 year olds) intervention students had
significantly greater knowledge, significantly safer attitudes, consumed less alcohol and
experienced significantly less harm associated with their own use of alcohol than the
control group.
After Phase Two (7 x 50 minute booster lessons in the following year, 14 year olds)
intervention students continued to have significantly greater knowledge and safer
alcohol-related attitudes than the control group. In addition, intervention students
consumed less and experienced less harm associated with their own use of alcohol than
the control group.
One year after the completion of Phase Two (no lessons, 15 year olds) students
maintained a significantly greater knowledge, significantly safer attitudes, significantly
less harm from their own use of alcohol and also showed significantly less harm from
other peoples use of alcohol than the control group.
Baseline
After Phase 1
After Phase 2
(12 year olds)
(13 year olds)
(14 year olds)
Year after Phase

2 (no lessons)
(15 year olds)
Knowledge
Attitudes
Consumption
Context of use
Harm associated
with own use
Harm associated
with others use
Significant statistical difference between control and SHAHRP students in favour of the
SHAHRP program.
SHAHRP behavioural results

Over the period of the SHAHRP study (from baseline to final follow-up 32 months later),
young people who participated in SHAHRP:
10
Consumed 20% less alcohol.
Were 19.5% less likely to drink to harmful or hazardous levels.
Had 10% greater alcohol related knowledge.
Had safer alcohol-related attitudes.
Experienced 33% less harm associated with their own use of alcohol.
Experienced 10% less harm associated with other peoples use of alcohol.
Immediately after Phase One and Phase Two of the program respectively, young people:

Consumed 31.4% and 31.7% less alcohol.
Were 25.7% and 33.8% less likely to drink to risky levels.
Experienced 32.7% and 16.7% less harm from their own use of alcohol.
Maximising behaviour change in students

To maximise effectiveness when using the SHAHRP program it is important to teach
the program as closely as possible to how it is documented in the teacher manual. The
student change that came about in the main study was based on teaching the program
to at least eighty percent as documented. The study teachers also received training in the
delivery of the program to students. Two days of training were conducted for Phase One
and one day of training for Phase Two. The training involved an overview of the research
background and program development. In addition, teachers participated in each activity
to model how the activity should be done and to allow teachers to assess implementation
and management requirements.
Why focus on alcohol?

Within a period of about 10 years, young people change from individuals who have
never had an alcoholic drink to individuals who, as an age group, are the heaviest
drinking section of the population.
Young people consume more alcohol and experience more acute alcohol related
problems than any other age group, and the potential for harm associated with
alcohol use increases on each occasion with an increase in the number of standard
drinks consumed. More years of life, quality of life, and productivity are lost from
acute alcohol-related harm in young people than are lost from chronic diseases
caused by alcohol use in older consumers.
Alcohol is linked to the three leading causes of death among young people
worldwide: unintentional injuries, homicide and suicide.
11
RESEARCH EVIDENCE BASIS OF THE SHAHRP PROGRAM

The SHAHRP program aims to change young peoples alcohol-related behaviours
through a classroom education approach. To do this effectively, SHAHRP researchers
have incorporated research evidence and best practice approaches from the health and
education fields. The following summary of the research basis of SHAHRP will assist
educators in understanding the critical elements of the program and can also be used
as a guide to assess the quality of other drug education resources. References for this
evidence based approach are on the SHAHRP website at ndri.curtin.edu.au/shahrp.
Timing and programming

Inoculation: requires that initial lessons be taught immediately prior to students initiating
the behaviour of interest, in this case drinking alcohol. Lessons that provide knowledge
and skills immediately prior to the behaviour can give students a solid basis as they enter
into, for example, alcohol use situations. Prevalence of alcohol use data was used to
define the placement of each phase of the SHAHRP program. The use of local prevalence
data can also assist in defining the appropriate timing of the initial phase of other health
related interventions.
Relevancy: requires that an additional phase of lessons be taught at a time when the
students are initiating the behaviour of interest. The immediate relevancy of knowledge
and skills during this phase in the students development makes it more likely that
students will apply new information and skills to their new behaviour. As with the above
evidence based component, prevalence of alcohol use data was used to define the
placement of the second phase of the SHAHRP program.
Transition period between primary and secondary school: practical considerations play
an important part in this component (particularly so for research studies in schools).
Students are likely to remain in the same school for a number of years, teachers are more
specialised in the delivery of alcohol education, programs can be easily administrated
and in research terms an intervention in one setting helps to assist with follow-up for
survey purposes. Entry into secondary school also represents a milestone in the maturity
of students; however, the prevalence of the behaviour of interest should be a stronger
guide to the placement of an intervention.
In the context of a developmentally appropriate school health curriculum:
drug education
should be taught in the context of a developmentally appropriate curriculum, have a
sound curriculum basis, be placed alongside other related health issues and have the
flexibility to target drug issues as they become pertinent to students. Programs conducted
in isolation, or ad hoc programs, have limited scope to create change and can potentially
have a negative effect on student drug use behaviour.
Booster sessions over time: in the past the research literature suggested that 30 to 40 hours
of classroom lessons were required to impact on students health behaviours. More
recent research suggests that booster sessions over a number of years, which develop
and reinforce knowledge and skills at a developmentally appropriate time, can also lead
to behaviour change. This means that less classroom time is required to have an impact
on behaviour; however, the lessons need to incorporate the following content and
teaching methodology components to be effective.
12
Content and teaching methodology

Based on the experiences of young people / young people should be involved in development of
the intervention: It is very important that the content, scenarios and style of an intervention
be based on the experiences and interest of the young people that it is trying to influence.
The SHAHRP study conducted focus groups with young people and piloted the draft
intervention with young people (and teachers) to ensure that their experiences were
reflected in the classroom lessons. The involvement of young people in the development
of an intervention helps to increase its relevancy as well as students interest and
involvement in the program.
Provides accurate normative information:
Research suggests that presenting age related

usage norms help students to attain realistic understanding of usage rates among peers.
Findings suggest that young people often have exaggerated notions of usage rates and
presenting accurate normative information can assist in modifying behaviour if these
norms are relatively low. In the first phase of SHAHRP the use of normative information
was particularly useful.
Adopts a harm minimisation approach rather than being based solely on non-use goals: This
issue is particularly relevant for alcohol where initiation of use occurs at a young age,
where large amounts of alcohol are consumed during drinking occasions, and where
social rewards are gained from drinking. Risks and harms associated with the use of
alcohol can be linked to the students own use or other peoples use of alcohol. A goal of
harm minimisation provides both drinkers and non drinkers with strategies for reducing
the chances of harm occurring, and the potential impact of harm after the event, as well
as incorporating important non-use and delayed use strategies.
Programs should be skills and activities based: Skills based teaching that involves students
in practical activities increases students interest and learning. Teaching methods that
allow students to practice behaviours that are relevant to their experience in a low risk
situation, using realistic scenarios, provide young people with important practice that
they can take with them to real life situations. Programs that are interactive and provide
a high level of activity in proportion to other aspects, such as lecture-style teaching, are
more effective in gaining students interest and promoting student learning.
Programs should incorporate utility knowledge: Past studies provide strong evidence
that knowledge and attitude based programs have little effect on behaviour change.
Nevertheless, the delivery of knowledge as part of a skills-training approach is an
important aspect of a program. The type of knowledge provided, however, needs to be
relevant to the students, needs to be applicable to their life experiences and needs to be
of immediate practical use to them.
13
Teacher training
Teachers should be trained to teach drug education:
research suggests that teachers of health

and drug education often lack adequate training and confidence when teaching drug
education and other controversial health issues. However, teachers are best placed to
know their students needs and developmental level and are best placed to incorporate
drug education at an appropriate time and level for their students.
Teacher training should involve interactive modelling of activities: research suggests
that teacher training that involves the interactive modelling of an interventions activities
increases a teachers confidence and ability to teach the program. This type of training
allows teachers to experience and identify classroom management and practical issues
associated with the program as well as providing them with a model of good practice
particularly in relation to debriefing and discussion around key issues.
Research issues
Although less important in the context of classroom teaching, the following research
considerations were adopted as part of the SHAHRP research studies: fidelity of
implementation (how well and how much of the program was taught) was measured and
incorporated into analysis and understanding of change; measures of program success
were based on realistic student experiences; the research was conducted over a long time
period to allow for delays in behaviour change; and analysis incorporated stratification for
previous use.
References for this section and research papers about SHAHRP are available on the
SHAHRP website at ndri.curtin.edu.au/shahrp.
14
THE HARM MINIMISATION APPROACH USED BY SHAHRP

DOES NOT:

Endorse or encourage alcohol use.
Condemn alcohol use.
Assume that all students are drinkers.
DOES:

Identify non-use of alcohol as an important choice in minimising harm.
Assume that the majority of students will drink alcohol at some time in their lives.
Assume that whether drinkers or non-drinkers, young people will be affected by

the behaviour of those who do drink.
Acknowledge that some young people do choose to drink.
Acknowledge that many young people spend time with peers or adults who are
drinkers.
Aim to educate both for the present and the future.
Aim to reduce the adverse health, social, cultural and economic consequences of
alcohol use by minimising the harm for both the community and the individual.
Aim to equip students to make informed choices about whether to drink or not,
and if so, how much, with whom, and in what circumstances.
Aim to promote responsible choices about alcohol use within the context of a
healthy lifestyle.
Include a focus on emotional, social and financial harms as well as physical

harms.
Follow nationally recognised guidelines for alcohol education.
Fit within the National and Western Australian Health and Physical Education
learning area outcomes.
Fit within the National and Western Australian Health Curriculum Framework.
15
16
Phase One
The following section contains eight lessons:
Lessons 1 8
Each lesson in Phase One of the SHAHRP program is of 50

minutes duration. However, because the activities within
each lesson are sequential, lesson duration may be altered
to accommodate timetable constraints eg ten lessons of 40
minutes duration.
It is essential to note, however, that the behavioral impact
of SHAHRP is based on teaching the whole program in
sequence as presented. It is not advisable to teach only
parts of the program.
The lessons in Phase One have been designed for 12 to
13 year old students. However, they may be taught to
younger or older students depending on local prevalence
of alcohol use (Phase One should be taught to students
immediately prior to experimentation and Phase Two when
experimentation has started).
17
Harm minimisation
Harm minimisation is
a goal which includes
a number of strategies
including abstinence
and non-use. These
strategies aim to
minimise the harmful
effects of drinking to
the drinker, to their
friends, family, local
community and to
society. It is relevant
to both drinkers and
non-drinkers, as
drinking affects others
besides the drinker.
Lesson 1
The Big Picture
Intention
It is intended that students will:
Be introduced to the unit and the harm minimisation
approach.
Be clear about rules and expectations in the classroom.
Consider a number of commonly held myths about
alcohol and debunk these myths with some facts and
information.
Consider some statistics about the use of alcohol and
the range of harms linked to alcohol use.
Become aware of the normative patterns of alcohol use
for young people.
Approach
Resources
Tell the students about

the approach you
are taking. Let the
students know that
you will be using a
harm minimisation
approach. The focus
will be on safety and
risk, not on rights and
wrongs.
Student Reflections booklet 1: pages 1-4

Multiple sets of Serious Pursuit cards
Student reflections
booklet
The student
reflections booklet is
an important part of
this unit and provides
a place for students
to record information,
reflect on ideas and
plan some individual
strategies. Tell
students that they will
need their booklet for
each lesson and any
other purposes that
you are planning, such
as evaluation.
18
Activity 1: Introducing harm minimisation

(5 minutes)
Introduction
Introduce the alcohol unit to students and tell them about
some of the issues you will be covering. This could include
some lesson topics and types of classroom teaching
strategies you will be using (eg interactive teaching style).
Tell students that a lot of young people were consulted in
developing this program. Students from several alcohol
projects and focus groups have identified the sorts of
decisions and harms young people face in relation to
alcohol use.
Explain that you will be using a harm minimisation
approach, as students may be expecting you to use an
abstinence approach, where you tell them not to drink.
Use some of the following points in your explanation
of harm minimisation and the nature of the unit to your
students:
In this unit on alcohol were going to be taking a harm

minimisation approach. This means we will look at
how you can keep yourself and others out of harm in
situations where alcohol is being used. This will be
relevant to drinkers and non-drinkers alike, as someone
who doesnt drink or hasnt been drinking can come to
harm as a result of someone elses behaviour.
While most of you will be non-drinkers now, some older

students drink when they go to parties or mix with
drinkers. By considering some of the situations which
may arise in the future, you can think about ways of
staying safe and think ahead about important decisions.
Its not my job to tell you whether you should or should
not drink, or to work out for you how much or at what
age you should drink. However, it is my job to make
sure you have correct information and strategies to help
reduce any harms which may result from alcohol use. I
will provide you with information about the legal age of
drinking so that this can help inform your decisions.
This course aims to give you knowledge about drinking
and safety, and the ability to handle any risky situations
that involve alcohol. That way, you can make safe
decisions.
In this course we will not be talking about what is
right or wrong in terms of alcohol but instead we will
be talking about what is more or less harmful. It is
up to each of you to work out what is right or wrong
for yourself, and lets remember people in this class
come from different family, religious and cultural
backgrounds, and whats right or wrong varies
from family to family.
The class activities are meant to give you the
opportunity to do some of your own thinking about
how to best keep yourself and others out of harm.
While the subject of alcohol and harm is serious, the
classes will allow you to express your ideas, views and
attitudes in a fun and interactive way. I want you to
feel free to share your ideas. How much you get out of
the unit will partly depend on your own input.
Activity 2: Establishing the classroom environment

(5 minutes)
AA Rules and expectations

If classroom rules are not already clear you will need to
establish them. It may be worth restating or refreshing
students memories of existing rules.
Classroom rules and

expectations
This work is
dependent on a
working environment
in the classroom
based on respect
and participation.
Emphasise the
importance of rules
such as no putdowns and an
expectation that
students will cooperate, contribute
and respect individual
differences. It is also
important that any
stories are put in the
third person.
Different families,
different rules
Point out that
there will be a
range of family
rules, expectations
and beliefs in this
class, community,
country and in the
world. Families and
individuals will make
decisions about what
is right and wrong
for them. In class you
wont make right/
wrong judgements,
but will look at harms,
risks, pressures,
strategies and
decisions.
Consider some of the following expectations to set up with

your class:

Listen to what others say, without passing judgement or

hassling them.
No put downs including laughing or jokes which will

make someone else feel upset or uncomfortable.
Be prepared to work in a co-operative way on paired and

group tasks.
19
Privacy
Set up and manage
classroom rules to
protect privacy. Every
teller of a story must
take responsibility for
protecting the privacy
of those in the story.
The classroom isnt
a place for gossip so
we wont tell tales on
others.
BB Protecting privacy and confidentiality

One of the key elements in setting up the classroom
environment for this unit is the protection of privacy.
Make it clear why privacy is important and whom you are
protecting, ie students, friends, family and teacher:
People might want to talk about their experiences or

tell stories about their friends or family. I want to make
sure that we dont get anyone into trouble, or end up
gossiping about someone or invading their privacy.
So Im asking you not to use names. Talk in the third
person so we dont know whose story youre telling.
For example, dont tell stories about mum or dad or
people in the school. Talk about an adult I know or a
young person I know or this friend of mine.
Privacy for the teacher
Activity 3: Mythbusters
You have the same

right to privacy
as your students.
Sharing your opinion
or perspective is
valuable. More
valuable is the way in
which you promote
enquiry on ethical
issues. Use questions
rather than answers.
You can listen and
express concern for
someones safety
without having to
lecture them.
(15 minutes)
AA Brainstorm with students any alcohol related myths that

they may have heard.
Ask students:

BB Read through the myths and debunking information on

pages 1-2 of Student Reflections booklet 1 with the students.
Ask students:

Why do these myths exist?
Why it is important to debunk these myths?
What is the danger of these myths?
Activity 4: Serious pursuit
Myths
Highlight that a myth
is a collective belief
created over time.
Rather than being
based on fact it can
be based on wishful
thinking. Sometimes
myths become so well
known, people believe
them to be true. The
danger in some of
these myths is that
they can lead to harm.
20
Are they true or false and why?
(15 minutes)
AA Work in pairs.

Give each pair a set of Serious Pursuit cards.
Students take turns to ask a question and allow the

partner time to think of an answer.
The student asking the question then reads out the

answer in full.
Pairs continue until they have completed the eight

questions.
BB Teacher collects the answers from different groups and

highlights the significance of some of the answers. In
particular:
Ask students:

Were you surprised by any of the facts?
Who got the number of non-drinkers correct?
If anyone put less why?
Who got year 8 heavy drinkers correct?
Did anyone overestimate why?
Activity 5: Get the picture

(10 minutes)
Using their new knowledge and Serious Pursuit cards
for reference, students individually complete Get the
picture on page 3 and 4 of Student Reflections booklet 1
by colouring in or marking the different diagrams. Answers
provided are based on Australian prevalence data please
refer to the Latest statistics box.
Instructions
Year 8s who say they are non-drinkers:
Colour in the number of Year 8s in a group of twenty

who say they are non-drinkers
- 16 heads should be shaded
Alcohol use different days:
Shade in the two days of the week when most drinking

takes place
- Saturday and Friday
Adult regular drinkers:
Colour in the number of adults in a group of ten who

would be regular drinkers
- 5 heads should be shaded
Young men and road deaths:
What proportion of all alcohol related deaths for 14-17

year old males is due to drink driving?
- 7 cars (pedestrians included - contributing 1/10)
Male/female choice drinks:
Circle the drink most likely to be chosen by young males

and females.
- Male = Premixed Sprits (38%)
- Female = Premixed Spirits (62.1%)
Year 8s who say they are heavy drinkers:

Colour in how many out of 100 Year 8s say they are
heavy drinkers
- 1 in 200 (half a bottle)
Colour in the heads to show how many out of 20
Year 8s have tried (had a sip or taste) alcohol

- 15 out of 20 should be shaded
Coaching points
Debunking myths
and facts is the key
function of Serious
Pursuit.
Literacy
Modify the activities
to suit the literacy
level of your class.
For example, put key
words on the board,
give reading tasks to
stronger readers, work
through examples
with the class.
Latest statistics
The latest SHAHRP
statistics can be
viewed at ndri.curtin.
edu.au/shahrp
If you are from a
country other than
Australia, please
access your local
alcohol organisations
to ensure prevalence
data is accurate. You
may need to modify
the answers to Activity
4 and 5 based on any
differences.
Encourage
Encourage students to
attempt an answer or
at least have a guess.
Tell them that some
answers are a bit
difficult. Stress that
the correct answers
must be read out in
full because some
cards have additional
information.
21
Prevalence data
Check local prevalence
data and/or SHAHRP
website ndri.curtin.
edu.au/shahrp to
ensure information is
up to date.
Statistics in brief
While many Year 8s
have tasted alcohol
or have had a drink,
only 2 in 10 consider
themselves to be
drinkers. Many adults
in Australia use
alcohol regularly.
Saturday is the
day when the most
alcohol is consumed,
followed by Friday.
This would indicate
that alcohol is used
as part of recreation
and socialising on the
weekend.
Young men are over
represented in deaths
on the road as a result
of alcohol. Both young
men and women
say the main type of
alcohol they normally
consume is pre-mixed
spirits.
22
Drug related deaths

Alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs are risk factors that can
lead to death. Shade in on the pie graph the risk from
alcohol for young males and females.

Males aged 15-25 (shade in 72% section for alcohol, 28%

illicit drugs, tobacco 0%)
Females aged 15-25 (shade in 55% section for alcohol,

46% illicit drugs, tobacco 0%)
Note: The impact of tobacco becomes high later in life, with

smoking related diseases killing around 15,000 Australians
within a year.
Debrief
Ask students to compare pictures one (year 8 non-drinkers),
six (yr 8 heavy drinkers) and eight (experimentation).

What does this tell you about drinking in Year 8?
Although many Year 8 students may have tried alcohol,

most consider themselves to be non-drinkers and nearly
all do not drink regularly or heavily. So it is the norm
not to drink or not to drink regularly or heavily in Year 8
(aligns with normative use).
Teacher homework
1. Organise glasses, jugs, food dye and measuring devices to
be ready for Lesson 3.
2. Organise a room swap for this lesson to a wet area (eg
science or home economics room). Keep these resources in
a well labeled box so that they are available and ready for
use in the future.
SERIOUS PURSUIT CARD ONE
SERIOUS PURSUIT CARD TWO
Question:
Question:
When a group of Year 8 students

was asked about their alcohol
use, how many said they were
non- drinkers?
What proportion of the adult

Australian population drinks
alcohol on a regular basis?
Answer:
Most Year 8 students say they
are non-drinkers. Around 16 out
of 20 (or 80%) of them say they
are non-drinkers.
Approximately 5 in 10 adults (or

50%) drink alcohol on a regular
basis. They are more likely to
drink on the weekends, with
Saturday being the heaviest
drinking day, and Friday the next
heaviest.
SERIOUS PURSUIT CARD THREE
SERIOUS PURSUIT CARD FOUR
Question:
Question:
What physical diseases have

been linked to the long-term
heavy use of alcohol?
Answer:
Heavy use of alcohol over a long
time has been linked to: cancer
of the lips, mouth, pancreas,
breast and colon; stroke and
damage to the liver and brain.
Answer:
Think about all alcohol related

deaths for 14-17 year old males.
What proportion of these deaths
were due to drink driving?
Answer:
About 7 out of 10 (or 70%) of
alcohol related deaths for young
men were due to drink driving.
23
SERIOUS PURSUIT CARD FIVE
SERIOUS PURSUIT CARD SIX
Question:
Question:
If secondary school students

are drinking alcohol, what type
of alcohol are they most likely to
drink?
When a group of Year 8 students

was asked about their alcohol
use, how many or what % said
they were heavy drinkers?
Answer:
Answer:
Young males and females who

drink say they are most likely to
drink premixed spirits.
Less than 1 out of 100 (0.5%)

Year 8 students say they are
heavy drinkers.
SERIOUS PURSUIT CARD SEVEN
SERIOUS PURSUIT CARD EIGHT
Question:
Question:
What % of Year 8 students have

ever tried, sipped or tasted
alcohol?
Alcohol, tobacco and illicit

drugs are drug-use risk factors
that can lead to death. What
proportion (%) of drug-use
risk is caused by alcohol for
young males and females (15-25
years)?
Answer:
About 15 out of 20 (or 75%) of
Year 8s have ever tried alcohol.
Answer:
Most drug-related deaths for
young Australians are due to
alcohol. The risk of alcoholrelated death for young males
aged 15-25 is 72%, the risk of
alcohol related-death for young
females 15-25 years is 54%.
24
Lesson 2
Why People Use Alcohol
Intention
Identify some of the reasons why people choose to drink
or not to drink alcohol.
Predict which reasons are most likely to lead to harmful
outcomes.
Explore some of the factors which may affect a choice
about whether to use alcohol or not.
Resources
White/black board
Activity 1: Why people use/do not use alcohol

(20 minutes)
AA Arrange for students to work in pairs.

Use page 5 of Student Reflections booklet 1 to

brainstorm the many reasons why people choose to
drink and the reasons why people choose not to drink
alcohol. Some reasons may appear on both lists (eg
religion).
Collect a master list on the board of the reasons thought

up by the class.
Add any reasons you note that have been omitted.
Allow students to top up their own lists with key

reasons.
Ask students which of these reasons are most likely to

be behind a young persons choice to drink or not drink?
BB In pairs, ask students to identify which reasons are most

likely to lead to harmful outcomes and identify those
reasons which are least likely to lead to harmful outcomes.
CC Find out what each partnership has identified as potentially
the most harmful and least harmful reasons.
Ask students:

Why are these reasons most likely to result in harm to

young people?
Why are these reasons least likely to result in harm to

young people?
Recap
Set this lesson within
the context of what
has come before.
Let students know
about the aims of this
lesson.
What if a student seems

upset by this topic?
Follow up with a one
to one conversation
rather than in front of
the class. Be prepared
to offer referral
according to school
protocol. Offer a
buddy to accompany if
immediate comfort is
required. Be aware of
mandatory reporting
requirements.
Acknowledge that
some people have
unresolved issues in
relation to this topic.
Invite students who
wish to speak with
you privately to do so.
Brainstorming
A way of collecting
as many ideas or
responses as possible.
Do not judge or
evaluate offerings
during the brainstorm.
Return to the list later
to complete these
other tasks.
Reporting back
A group shares
their thinking with
the whole class. An
activity to promote
peer led learning.
25
Protective interrupting
Activity 2: Whats in a choice
This is a teaching
strategy designed to
protect:
(30 minutes)
The reputation of
the person telling
the story.
Those whom the

story is about.
The class
members from
distress at hearing
a disclosure
or from covert
pressure to be
engaged in social
activities or high
status risky
behaviours.
The course and

the teacher from
sidetracking of
the discussion
activity and from
allegations that
the course is an
arena for gossip.
Look at the chart on pages 7 to 8 of Student Reflections booklet

1. This identifies some of the thoughts, reasons or questions
behind decisions relating to alcohol use.
Use the chart as a resource. Work through some examples from
the chart on the board explaining how each of these reasons (in
the thought bubble) could affect a decision not to drink, to drink,
how much to drink.
Example
The Decision: Not to drink, to drink, how much to
drink?
The Reason: Who am I with (from the chart)
How could this affect the decision?
Jane sips champagne when offered at a family function
because her parents approve and encourage it as part
of her learning.
OR: Jane does not drink at a friends party because she
does not feel safe with the others who are drinking.

Point out to the class that these decisions may also be

affected by other reasons, ie. Taste: Jane may not like
the taste of champagne, so may refuse to drink because
of this reason.
Do lots of examples, getting the students to select the

reasons from the chart and suggesting how these could
affect peoples decisions whether to drink or not, and
how much to drink.
Ask students to complete two examples on page 6

Whats in a choice? They may choose examples from
the class discussion or may prefer to develop their own
examples from the chart.
Summarise the lesson by acknowledging that choices

about alcohol use or non-use are complex and vary
according to the person, the family, the religion, the age
or stage of life, as well as the time, place, circumstance,
occasion, health and beliefs about what is appropriate,
safe, right or wrong.
Personalising: Get students individually to complete the

following sentences on page 6 of Student Reflections
booklet 1:
The two reasons that may have the most influence over
a young persons decision to drink alcohol are _________
________________________________
These could be harmful because____________
Mandatory reporting
Under mandatory
reporting laws, the
teacher is obliged to
report an ongoing
situation which places
a student at serious
risk. Be aware of
the procedures for
reporting and referral
used at your school.
26
Teacher homework
1. Organise glasses, jugs, food dye and measuring devices to
be ready for Lesson 3. Ideally use a variety (size and shape)
of glasses so students can see that a standard drink of
alcohol looks different in different containers. If this is not
possible use generic plastic cups which can be purchased
from your local supermarket.
2. Organise a room swap for this lesson to a wet area (eg
science or home economics room).
3. Start collecting a variety of bottles and cans (include some
premixed drinks/alcopops) for Lesson 4. Make sure they
have standard drinks information on the label.
27
Recap
the context of what
has come before.
Let students know
lesson.
Drinking glasses
Use a variety (size and
shape) of glasses so
students can see that
a standard drink of
alcohol looks different
in different containers.
Brain development
Please refer to
SHAHRP website for
the latest information
on alcohol and brain
development ndri.
curtin.edu.au/shahrp.
Lesson 3
Alcohol and the Body
Intention
Define what alcohol is and how it affects the body.
Identify how sobering up occurs and be able to
recognise common myths about sobering up.
Identify what comprises a standard drink.
Be able to pour a standard drink of spirits, wine and
beer.
Resources

Student Reflections booklet 1: pages 9, 17-18

Food dyes or cordial
Water
Sets of glasses of a variety of shapes and sizes
Measuring jugs
Sponges for clean up
Activity 1: How alcohol affects the body

(20 minutes)
AA Reinforce Mythbuster 3: Alcohol is a drug. This activity will

address the way in which alcohol affects the body.
Ask students (in pairs) the following questions and get
them to dot point their answers:
Sobering up
Point out that actors in
movies act drunk, then
sober. The black coffee
you see them drink
makes no difference.
The liver breaks down
alcohol at a rate of
7-10 grams of alcohol
(approximately one
standard drink) an
hour, depending on
the person.
How does alcohol enter the blood stream?

How much alcohol drunk reaches the blood stream?
Will anything slow down the absorption of alcohol?
What happens to physical ability the more someone drinks?
Which organ breaks down most alcohol in the body?
What is the only thing that will sober someone up? Why?
BB Refer to page 9 of Student Reflections booklet 1.

Using the previous questions as a focus, read through,

with the class, the information about how alcohol gets
into the bloodstream and how it leaves the body.
Get students to correct their initial answers. Make sure

students understand that sobering up cant be sped up.
Ask students which of these reasons are most likely to

be behind a young persons choice to drink or not drink?
CC Brainstorm a list on the board of all of the recipes for

sobering up they have heard.

28
Reinforce that none of these work. They are all myths.
DD Point out that combining alcohol with other drugs can

accelerate the effect. For more information read alcohol
and other drugs on page 21 of Student Reflections 1.
Ask students:

What might the effect be of combining alcohol with

energy drinks?
How could this be harmful? (see boxed explanation)
EE Tolerance: explain that people who drink heavily regularly

develop a tolerance for alcohol, and may become
dependent on it, needing more and more to experience the
same effect.
Ask students:

Why are these reasons most likely to result in harm to

young people?
Why are these reasons least likely to result in harm to

young people?
Activity 2: What is in a standard drink?

(20 minutes)
AA Ask students:

How may grams of alcohol can be broken down by the

liver in one hour? (Answer 7-10 grams).
Do you know what 10 grams of alcohol looks like in a

glass?
BB Explain that a drink that contains 10 grams of alcohol is a

standard drink and it would look different depending on the
type of alcoholic beverage.
CC Refer students to page 17 of Reflections booklet 1.

Point out that different types of drinks have different

alcoholic contents therefore the size of standard drinks
varies (spirits have a higher alcoholic content than wine,
therefore a standard drink of spirits will be smaller than
a standard drink of wine although they both contain 10
grams of alcohol).
Activity 3: Pour a set of standard drinks

(25 minutes)
AA Explain to the students that they will be using the standard

drinks chart and the equipment to pour a set of standard
drinks.

Set out the clear two (2) litre juice containers filled with
coloured water. Use a common colour to represent a
generic range of drinks eg spirits/blue, wine/red, full
strength beer/orange, pre-mixed spirits/green, light beer/
yellow etc. Write this up on the board.
Logistics
If you are still setting
up at the start of the
lesson, get students
to read through page
9 of their Reflections
booklet.
Energy drinks
Some people mix
energy drinks with
alcohol to feel
in control, alert
and less drunk.
However, consuming
a stimulant along
with alcohol only
reduces the feeling
of being drunk; the
physical and mental
impairments that
alcohol causes remain
the same. Masking the
depressant effect of
alcohol may lead to
increased risk-taking
and greater potential
harms (such as drink
driving).
Standard drink
A standard drink is
one which contains 10
grams of alcohol.
Set up and clean up

Use a team of
students to help you
set up and clean up.
Set aside the extra
time needed. Move
your class to a wet
area - eg science or
home economics.
29
Measurement
Use science measures
or beakers from home
economics to assist
in the measurement
of standard drinks.
Collect a range of
different shaped
glasses or disposable
beakers and compare.
Students should work in small groups (2 - 4).
Using the chart on page 17 of Student Reflections

booklet 1, each group should estimate and pour a
standard drink, measure it, then measure and pour a
correct standard drink.
Each group will have a different drink to measure. Allow

a couple of minutes then rotate the coloured water so
they can measure another drink.
Repeat the rotations until each group has measured

the five (5) drinks. Each group should have a range of
glasses to show how standard drinks look different in
different glasses (if this is not possible use plastic cups).
BB After the drinks are poured, a range of different shaped

glasses should be set up next to the container from which
they were poured (eg place some of the spirit glasses
next to the spirit containers you can either place next to
coloured water or have some empty spirits/wine bottles).
Ask students:
Sip sizes
It is important to
discuss sip sizes
if students are too
embarrassed to
have their sip sizes
measured, as this is
the way some young
people drink alcohol,
especially at parties.
What do you notice about what the same drink looks like
when poured into different sorts of glasses?
What do you notice when you compare what a standard

drink of different sorts of beverages looks like?
How many standard drinks of spirits will fit into some of

the glasses available?
What could be the effect of this in a drinking situation?
How long would it take to sober up?
What does a standard drink look like when in the

container in which it is commonly purchased?
CC Give some students clean glasses and water with which to

measure their sip sizes.
Ask students:

What is the range of sip sizes amongst those who have

measured their sips?
If drinking from the bottle or can, how many of those sip

sizes would it take to make one standard drink?
If someone didnt know their sip size, what could

happen?
DD Students then record their answers to questions in part

B and C on page 19 of Student Reflections booklet 1, and
summarise the pouring exercise by colouring the diagram at
the bottom of the page.
Teacher homework
1. Prepare can and bottle collection for Lesson 4.
30
Lesson 4
Whats in a Drink?
Intention
Recap
the context of what
has come before.
Let students know
lesson.
Be able to identify different sorts of alcoholic beverages.

Be able to locate standard drinks information on labels.
Identify what blood alcohol content (BAC) is.
Be familiar with the factors that affect BAC.
Be familiar with the law regarding driving and alcohol.
Identify some of the effects of long term heavy drinking.
Become familiar with the NHMRC guidelines for low risk
consumption of alcohol.
Become familiar with the NHMRC guidelines for young
people and pregnant women.
Bottle collection
Keep your collection
of bottles and cans in
a well-labelled carton.
WHATS IN A
DRINK ACTIVITY
DO NOT DISPOSE
Resources
Collection of empty bottles and cans representing a
wide range of alcoholic beverages.
Student Reflections booklet 1: pages 10, 13-14, 17, 19-20.
Activity 1: Guidelines for low risk use

(10 minutes)
AA Ask students:

What is a standard drink? (10 grams of alcohol)
How long does it take to metabolise one standard drink?

(1 hour)
Which standard drink looks the biggest in a glass?

(Low strength beer)
Which standard drink looks the smallest in a glass?

(Spirits)
Why is it important to understand about standard

drinks? (It is less easy to predict the effects and harms
from drinking if someone doesnt know how much they
have drunk).
31
Adults
The 2009 Australian
Alcohol Guidelines
advise that healthy
adults should
consume no more
than two standard
drinks on any day to
reduce the lifetime
health risk from
alcohol. However,
if this is exceeded,
consuming no
more than four
standard drinks on
any one occasion
will reduce the risk
of injury during and
immediately after
consuming the drinks.
BB Read the chart on page 10 of Student Reflections booklet 1

which identifies low risk levels of use as described by the
National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.

Ask students what they think the recommendation is for:
Adults
Young people
Pregnant women
Ask what happens if someone consistently drinks at

risky levels?
Read through the list of harms that can occur to the

body as a result of long term heavy drinking.
Brainstorm a list of some of the other harms resulting

from long term heavy drinking.
Use sub-headings such as physical, social, financial,

legal, family or relationship harms.
Activity 2: Whats in a drink

(10 minutes)
Young people
The NHMRC
guidelines (2009)
state that the safest
option for children and
young people under
18 years of age is not
to drink any alcohol
and recommends
delaying the initiation
of drinking for as long
as possible.
Read and discuss the chart on pages 13-14 of Student

Reflections booklet 1 entitled Whats in a Drink?

Alert students to the fact that different types of drinks

have different alcoholic content and that the strength
of the drink and the number of standard drinks in the
container are written on the bottle or can.
Activity 3: Pass the bottle

(10 minutes)
AA Give each student or pair of students an empty bottle or can.
Labels
It is preferable to
have a large range
of different sorts of
empty alcoholic drink
containers for the
students to look at.
Get them to locate the
number of standard
drinks on the label.
Note the different
alcoholic content of
the drinks.
32
Ask them to arrange themselves in a circle so they are in

order of highest to lowest number of standard drinks.
Tell them to find on the label the % of alcohol and

number of standard drinks in their container.
BB Ask students to read out the following information on their

label:

Name of drink
Type of drink
% of alcoholic content
Number of standard drinks in the container
This information can be hard to spot but, by (Australian)

law, it should be on the label.
CC Collect observations along the way particularly:

The variance in strength between different sorts of

spirits, ciders and pre-mixed drinks.
The number of standard drinks (ie many containers look

the same size but contain different number of standard
drinks.
Point out that one drink may not equal one standard
drink; it may actually equal 2 or 3 standard drinks
depending on the strength of the alcohol and how much
is poured.
Activity 4: What is BAC?

(5 minutes)
Read the explanation of BAC (blood alcohol content) and how it

is measured on page 17 of Student Reflections booklet 1.
Activity 5: Factors affecting BAC (why is it different

for men and women?)
(15 minutes)
AA Read through the chart which identifies some of the factors

affecting BAC and the information about the differences for
men and women recorded on pages 19 and 20 of Student
Reflections booklet 1.
BB Ask students in pairs to complete What might this mean at
a party? on page 20 of Student Reflections booklet 1.
Ask students:

Why was the effect different? Point out that the effect of
alcohol depends not only on the strength of the alcohol
but also on the individual characteristics of the person.
What else might change the effect? (eg eating food,

mood etc)
BAC
Blood alcohol content
is the amount of
alcohol in your
bloodstream. It is
measured according
to the number of
grams of alcohol per
100 ml of blood.
Difference between men

and women
The standard drink
guidelines in Australia
are the same for both
men and women. On
average, while woman
reach a given blood
alcohol concentration
with a lower amount
of alcohol, men
take more risks and
experience more
harmful effects.
Pregnant women
Pregnant women are
advised to abstain
from alcohol as
it impacts on the
developing brain of
the fetus.
Teacher homework
1. Tape or download three or four advertisements to use in
Lesson 6.
2. Select a variety of advertisement types. These
advertisements do not have to involve alcohol, but can be
for any product or service. It is an advantage to have at least
one alcohol advertisement.
3. Organise large sheets of white paper and thick writing
pens.
33
Recap
the context of what
has come before.
Let students know
lesson.
Lesson 5
Identifying Harms and Strategies
Intention
Identify harms that can occur to young people as a
result of their own or others alcohol use.
Predict and describe situations in which these harms are
most likely to occur.
Recognise the varying effects of alcohol in relation to
levels of use.
Resources
Student Reflections booklet 1: pages 11-12, 21-22, 24
Brainstorm sheets (butchers paper)
Small group discussion
Activity 1: Identifying harms
Is best organised
around clear tasks (eg
list 5 or more harms).
Have each group
appoint a scribe and a
reporter.
(20 minutes)
AA Divide students into groups of four.

Allocate each group a category from pages 21-22 of

Student Reflections booklet 1 (ie family, feelings, friends
etc).
Ask students to brainstorm any harms resulting from

the use of alcohol that they can think of to put in their
category and list them on the large sheets of white
paper.
Circle
When you sit the class
in a circle, a powerful
message is sent
about who are the key
players in the session
and in the discussion everyone!
BB Get groups to report back to the class, identifying the harms

on their lists. (These could be placed on the floor in the
middle of the circle or posted on the walls).

Allow class members to add any other harms they can

think of to each category as it is reported.
There will be considerable crossover of harms between

the groups. This can be noted during the reporting back.
CC Ask students to record some of the key harms from each

category in their Student Reflections booklet 1 on pages
21-22.
34
Activity 2: Matching likely harms to levels of use
Paired sharing
(10 minutes)
A technique
of maximising
involvement and
participation. Paired
work is completed
prior to a whole class
discussion so students
have had time to think
and speak before
talking in front of the
whole class.
AA Young people are likely to come to harm as a result of

the SHORT TERM EFFECTS of alcohol use, particularly in
situations involving binge drinking.
BB Look at the chart on pages 11-12 of Student Reflections
booklet 1. Note that while the effects of alcohol vary from
person to person, the more someone drinks, the more they
are affected by alcohol.

In pairs, ask students to complete the chart, identifying

harms that are likely to occur at increasing levels of
intake.
Students may use the harms listed around the page as a

resource, but can also include others that they identify.
Some harms will appear at a number of levels.
Activity 3: How harms happen

(20 minutes)
AA Students should be in pairs for this activity. Each pair

selects a harm from the brainstorm list and takes a minute
to invent a story which would illustrate that harm.

They can draw from real life, or invent a scenario in

which a particular harm is likely to occur.
Harms other than the one they select may appear in

the story as well, but stress that what is required is a
realistic scenario, not a soap opera.
If drawing from real life, remind them to protect privacy

by changing or removing names etc.
Students can write or draw their story in the section It

happened like this... on page 24 of Student Reflections
booklet 1.
2-4 grouping
Have one pair join
with another to
compare responses
or findings arising
in a paired sharing
prior to reporting to
the class. Groups of
four can join to make
eights to broaden
the comparison of
sharing. A useful
strategy when you
suspect not everyone
will contribute if going
straight into a large
group.
BB Some stories or examples can be shared with the class.

The teacher facilitates discussion of the stories with the
following questions:

Do you think this kind of story would occur rarely,

occasionally, or often in real life?
What age group would most likely be in such a story?
What would a story involving a lesser harm be about?
What would a story involving younger people/

children/20s/40s/60s be about?
What could be done to prevent or minimise the key

harms identified?
35
CC Personalising (page 13)

Get students to complete the following statement:
Alcohol related harms that concern me

are____________________because____________________
Teacher homework
1. Collect (tape or download) three or four advertisements to
use in Lesson 6. Select a variety of advertisement types.
These advertisements do not have to involve alcohol, but
can be for any product or service. It is an advantage to have
at least one alcohol advertisement.
2. Arrange to buy or borrow dice and counters from Maths
Faculty for Party Pressure game in Lesson 7.
3. Photocopy the Decider cards, Info cards, and
Strategies cards required for Lesson 7. Organise for a
pair of students to cut them out for you - a time-consuming
task!
36
Lesson 6
Mastering Media Messages
Intention

Develop an awareness of advertising directed at the

youth market.
Consider and question the techniques advertisers use to

influence young peoples choices.
Develop a message and advertisement which is

attractive to young people and which promotes a harm
minimisation message in relation to the use of alcohol.
Recap
the context of what
has come before.
Let students know
lesson.
Media campaigns
AA Ask students in pairs to recall their favourite advertisement

(does not have to be alcohol). Choose one and use page 25
of Student Reflections booklet 1 to analyse it.
The National Drug

Strategy has funded
alcohol education
programs and mass
media campaigns
since 1985. Most
states have also
developed campaigns.
A number of these
have focussed on
young people and
binge drinking. The
slogans used in Ad
Break, (Student
Reflections booklet
1, page 26) are
all examples of
prior programs or
campaigns.
BB List some strategies advertisers use on the board. Include:

People; Feelings; Appealing to; Music; Slogans; Humour;
Animals; Sex.
Alcohol regulation
Resources
Taped advertisements
Magazines
Activity 1: Reading advertisements

(20 minutes)
CC Show students the taped alcohol advertisements. Ask

students to list the strategies used in these advertisements.
Ask students:

Are they the same as those listed on the board?
Do they use some strategies more than others?
Which characters drink?
What are the characters like? (eg glamorous, funny etc)
Where do they drink? What hidden message is this giving?
What do you think advertisers think of young people?
Are advertisements about alcohol ever dishonest? How?
What can you do to protect yourself from false or

dishonest advertising?
Do different sorts of alcoholic drinks have an image?
Are the influences and pressures from the media

regarding alcohol the same for boys and girls?
The Alcohol Beverages

Advertising Code
(ABAC) in Australia
stipulates that
advertisements for
alcohol must not have
a strong or evident
appeal to children or
adolescents. However,
alcohol advertising is
largely self-regulated,
predominantly
through voluntary
industry codes of
practice. Due to this,
advertisements do not
always adhere to this
code.
37
Activity 2: Designing a health promotion

advertisement for safer alcohol use
Options
You may prefer
student to develop
concepts for ads in
pairs using large
pieces of white
paper or to extend
the timeline to allow
development of art
works for display.
Media tactics
Remind students to
consider the tactics
used to sell messages,
such as image, wealth,
beauty and success.
Which ones will
they use to sell their
harm minimisation
message?
(30 minutes)
AA Ask students to brainstorm any media coverage aimed

at decreasing or minimising the harms associated with
alcohol. Get them to include TV, radio and magazine
advertisements. Encourage students to recall slogans
especially local ones and well known ones. You might
prompt them with:

Dont turn a night out into a nightmare
If you drink then drive youre a bloody idiot
Respect yourself
How will you feel tomorrow?
(Other slogans are printed on page 26 of Student

Reflections booklet 1)
BB In pairs or small groups, get students to invent a catchy

slogan, rhyme or jingle to carry a harm minimisation
message.

Students are to design a poster or advertisement to

accompany or promote this message which can be done
on paper or computer if preferred. If students prefer,
they can use or extend one already on the Ad break
page (Student Reflections booklet 1, page 26).
Ask them to choose the type of advertising tactics

they think will best promote their message. They may
wish to use some tactics identified Activity 1: Reading
advertisements.
If students choose to present their advertisement as a

TV advertisement then they may need to be in small
groups. They can use the Ad break page to plan their
TV advertisement.
CC Get students to present their ad to the class

After each presentation ask students:

What strategies were being used?
How effective do you think this would be?
Teacher homework
1. Arrange to borrow dice and counters from Maths Faculty for
Party Pressure game in next lesson.
2. Photocopy and cut up the Decider cards, Info cards and
Strategies cards required for Lesson 7.
38
Lesson 7
Decisions
Intention
Recap
To maintain continuity,
remind students about
what was covered in
the previous lesson.
Sum up key intentions
of the session at the
end of class.
Identify some of the factors influencing decisions made

about alcohol consumption.
Identify a range of choices and possible outcomes in
situations involving alcohol.
Predict likely consequences for those choices.
Apply their knowledge about harm minimisation
strategies and the effects of alcohol to a range of
situations.
Resources
Student Reflections booklet 1: pages 15-16, 27-28
Decider cards
Info and Strategy cards photocopied from Teaching
Manual for use with Board Game
Counters for each player
Dice - one for each group playing the game
Activity 1: The Decider game
Explaining
(30 minutes)
You may wish to use

the diagram on pages
27-28 in Student
Reflections booklet 1
to assist in explaining
the Decider concept.
You may prefer to
complete Activity 2
before Activity 1.
AA Explain that the Decider game is a way to explore some of

the thoughts that affect the decisions we make.
BB Teach the class how to play the Decider game.

Take a Decider card to use as an example egYour older

brother or sister has driven home drunk a few times in
the last month. Will you talk to him/her about it?
Put a volunteer (or two) in a chair out the front to be the

Decider or judge as to what is the most convincing set
of arguments.
Have one side of the class brainstorm any arguments

that could be thought up on the positive (safer) side: ie
you should talk to him about it, for example:
Think of your regrets if you didnt and something
happened.
He could kill or injure one of his friends.
He could end up dead or crippled.
He might not realise how drunk hes been...someone has
to tell him.
He might end up without a licence. If you care about
him, youd have the guts to say something.
Just tell him to leave his car at home if hes drinking.
Language
Avoid value-laden
language. Talk about
what is common
rather than what is
normal. Explore and
enquire rather than
judge. Write new or
difficult words on the
board, for example,
intoxicated.
39
Positive versus negative
If students are having

difficulty using
positive and negative
use yes, do it, versus
no, dont do it.
Have the other half of the class put forward any

argument or thoughts that could occur on the negative
(unsafe) side.
He wont listen to you anyway.
Its none of your business.
Its just a stage hes going through.
Hes a good driver ... being drunk doesnt matter.
Hes got away with it so far ... so why worry?
CC Play the game.
Decider game
Get each side in turn to pitch their argument.
The other side can rebut arguments if they wish. After a

few minutes ask the Decider(s) to say which side they
think has argued more powerfully or
Rotate students
through all three roles
where possible.

Simultaneous role play

Have groups
improvise
simultaneously and
noisily to protect them
from the pressure of
an audience, to give
everyone a chance
to participate, and to
energise the class.
Use a whistle to signal
stop and start.
How can someone get a brother or sister to think about

safety and not end up getting yelled at?
DD Students work in groups of three.

One is the Decider; one takes the Positive (safer) side

and the other the Negative (unsafe) side.
Each trio is given a Decider card.
Allow the positive and negative players a minute to

write down some arguments (its important not to share
with the rest of the group at this point).
PLAY IT

The positive and negative players try to out argue each

other and have their side win.
The person playing the Decider should choose the

winner on the basis of the arguments put forward or the
persuasiveness of the tactics.
Playing back role plays

When showing
the class, keep the
scenarios short. A
flavour of what is
going on in the scene
is usually enough to
promote discussion,
prediction and
enquiry.
40
If those arguments were someones thoughts what

decision do you think would be made?
You may go on to ask about what could change a
decision or HOW to carry out that difficult choice, eg:
EE After dividing the class into threes and allocating cards, set
all the groups to have a go at winning their argument.

There should be no audience at this stage, other than

the Decider, who gives feedback as to which side is
winning and why.
After a few minutes ask the Deciders what their

decision was and why? If they chose the negative
(unsafe) option ask the rest of the class what might
change their mind (choosing the safer side).
Ask the Decider if there would be anything that might

change their mind (if the Decider chose the positive
(safe) side there is no need to try to change this).
Rotate scenarios and rotate roles. Play 3 rounds so each

person gets to play each role.
Process as above.
FF To focus on a particular issue in more detail, you can select

a trio that seems to have a good grip on the subject or ask
for volunteers to have their work used as the trigger for
discussion and coaching.

Use these groups to demonstrate in front of the class.
Invite coaching from the class.
Activity 2: The Decider map

(10 minutes)
AA Use one of the Decider situations to demonstrate how to

fill in a Decider map (Student Reflections booklet 1, pages
27-28). Part of the challenge after identifying some of the
positive and negative thoughts is to identify three possible
alternatives or choices that COULD be made. (This is not a
question of SHOULD). Students should think up a number of
possible consequences to each of those choices.
BB Having completed an example on the board, ask each
student or pair of students to fill out the maps, using either
some of the situations worked on in class, or scenarios they
select for themselves.
Activity 3: The Party Pressure game

(10 minutes)
Organise the students into groups of four to play the board

game.

Distribute materials and explain how to play the game.
They will need a counter each to mark their progress

through the game and a dice to determine their move.
Each group will also need a set of Info cards and a set
of Strategy cards to place on the board. (The board is
on pages 15-16 of Student Reflections booklet 1).
How the game works:

1. Person with highest throw starts, and then turns proceed
in sequence.
2. If you land on a square with writing on it - read it out
to the group and move forwards or backwards as
instructed.
Party Pressure board

game
For each roll of the
dice, follow the
instruction in the
square you first land
on. If the instructions
on this square
move you back or
forward, ignore these
instructions unless
you are required to
pick up a Strategies
or Info card. Groups
will finish at different
intervals. Those first
to finish may need to
start another round.
3. If you land on an I square or an S square, the

appropriate Info or Strategies card should be taken
from the top of the pack by another player and read out.
The player must then correctly answer the information
question or provide three realistic and safe strategies in
response to the given situation.
41
Developing safe
strategies
There are countless
possible strategies.
The guiding principle
is getting students
to choose the safest
(but realistic) possible
strategy. Dont be
afraid to explore.
If silly options are
raised, come back
to the safest option,
asking the class
Is that the safest
option? If they find
the safe option, there
is no need to explore
any further.
4. The other students in the group decide if these are the

appropriate/the safest. It is important for teachers to
actively supervise this activity and interact to monitor
the strategies.
5. Processing: ask students:

Did anyone have trouble coming up with safe and

realistic strategies ones that would work?
Read out a selection of strategy cards and ask students

for some realistic strategies.
Personalising
Ask students to complete the following statement:
Harm reduction strategies that I think are realistic are

__________________________________________________
Teacher homework
1. Photocopy Harm Buster Scenario cards and Student SelfEvaluation sheets for next lesson.
2. Get access to the internet or get copies of local telephone
directories.
3. Access pamphlets from local health services.
Examples of harm reduction strategies

Eat food prior to and

while drinking alcohol.
Dont top your drinks

up; take note of how
much you have had.
42
Plan how you will be

getting home before
you head out.
Check your label

premixed are often
more than one
standard drink.
Know your limits what may be OK for
others may not be
OK for you. Dont try
and keep up with
everybody else.
Between alcoholic
drinks have a nonalcoholic drink (Have
non-alcoholic options
available!)
Look out for your
friends who you think
may take risks that
they wouldnt normally
take if they were sober.
Stay with people you

know and trust.
Dont drink and go

swimming.
Dont agree to get into

a car with someone
who has been
drinking.
Dont binge!
Make sure you pour

or get your own drink.
Tell a friend if you
are feeling ill after
consuming a drink.
Keep emergency
numbers and a first aid
kit handy.
Dont be afraid to ring

an ambulance.
Think about the

cringe factor - will
you be embarrassed
tomorrow by what you
do today?
DECIDER
DECIDER
Your parents are drinking wine with

dinner. You are offered a small glass.
They are about to toast the bride

and groom at your cousins wedding.
Champagne glasses are being handed
round. Your mother hands you one.
Will you have one?
Will you take it?
DECIDER
DECIDER
You are at a party with a cousin and

their older friends. A lot of them seem
to be drinking. You are asked if you
want a drink. Your parents would not
approve of you drinking.
Some of the others in your footy team

have decided to get drunk to see what
it is like. You are asked if you want to
join in.
Will you?
What will you say?
DECIDER
DECIDER
You are invited to a birthday party.

Some of the people there are drinking.
An older boy who you dont like seems
pretty drunk. He wont leave you alone.
He keeps hassling you to dance and
putting his arms around you.
Three of your friends are over while

your parents are out. One of them
suggests sampling whisky from a
bottle in your parents drinks cupboard.
The others arent sure.
What will you do?
What will you do?
43
DECIDER
DECIDER
A friend of yours is quite shy and feels

really nervous about going to parties.
The school is running a dance for the
Year 8s and 9s. They suggest having a
drink or two before going. The school
rule is No alcohol before or during.
You suspect it is just because your
friend is scared.
You are babysitting for some friends of

your parents. When they return from
the party they seem to you to be quite
tipsy. One of them is supposed to drive
you home. Having paid you, they head
for the car.
What will you do?
Will you get in the car?

What can you do?
DECIDER
DECIDER
When your older brother/sister came

home last night, they were drunk. You
are worried because this is happening
every couple of weeks. Your borther/
sister drives home in this state.
You are at a party and a few kids

outside are drinking heavily. Most of
those in the house arent drinking or
have only had a little. It gets really
noisy outside and when you all go out
to look a fight is going on. One boy
has been knocked over and has blood
coming from his head. Several others
are still hitting each other.
Will you talk to them about it?
What will you do?
DECIDER
DECIDER
You are going to a dance party with a

group of friends. You meet them outside
and discover that one of them has
some spirits mixed with soft drink in
a bag and is offering others sips from
the bottle before going in to the dance
party. Two of the kids in your group are
drinking, the others are not. You are
offered a sip.
You take a friend with you to a party.

Not long before your parent is due to
pick you up, you go looking for your
friend and find them in the bathroom
vomiting. They say they only had two
drinks, but are obviously really drunk.
You have not been drinking and no
one else at the party has gotten drunk,
though quite a few others have had
some alcohol.
Will you drink?
What will you say to your parent?

44
DECIDER
DECIDER
Youre at a party and a friend has

passed out and some boys decide to
take an embarrassing photo of her and
post it on a social networking site.
Your friends want to take alcohol to a

party but need someone to buy it for
them. They think you might pass for 18
and ask you to purchase it for them.
They are pretty persuasive.
What will you do?
Will you try?
DECIDER
Your friends want to take alcohol to a
party but need someone to buy it for
them. They think you should ask your
older brother/sister if they can buy it for
you.
Will you ask?
45
INFO
Which is stronger, spirits or beer?
Answer - Spirits
INFO
Is there anything you can do to
make someone sober up faster?
Answer - No
INFO
Is alcohol a drug?
Answer - Yes
INFO
Can alcohol harm an unborn
child?
Answer - Yes
INFO
About how long does it take for
the body to break down one
standard drink?
Answer - About 1 hour
INFO
What is the legal blood alcohol
limit for fully licensed drivers?
Answer - .05
INFO
Is it legal for a person under 18 to
buy alcohol?
Answer - No
46
INFO
Are the guidelines for safe
drinking the same for adults and
young people (under 18s)?
Answer - No
INFO
Will coffee help to sober you up?
Answer - No
INFO
Can you fit more than one
standard drink into a glass?
Answer - Yes
INFO
INFO
Most Year 8 students do not drink

regularly or heavily - true or
false?
Which takes up more room in a

glass - a standard drink of beer or
a standard drink of spirits?
Answer - True
Answer - Beer
INFO
Is it illegal for a person under
the age of 18 to be in possession
of alcohol outside of private
premises?
Answer - Yes
STRATEGIES
An intoxicated friend is about to
vomit. What can you do?
List 3 strategies
STRATEGIES
The adult friend of your parent
who was to drive you home
seems quite tipsy. What can you
do?
List 3 strategies
47
STRATEGIES
A sleazy guy/girl who has been
drinking wont leave you alone.
What can you do?
List 3 strategies
STRATEGIES
A friend had unplanned and
unprotected sex while drunk now she is very upset. What can
you do?
List 3 strategies
You want to have fun without

drinking. What can you do?
List 3 strategies
STRATEGIES
A friend gets into fights after he
has been drinking. What can you
do?
List 3 strategies
STRATEGIES
STRATEGIES
Older guys gatecrash a party

you are at - it looks like they may
cause trouble. What can you do?
A teammate keeps missing the

game on Sunday mornings due to
heavy drinking the night before.
What can you do?
List 3 strategies
STRATEGIES
A friend asks your advice. He/she felt
they got too drunk at the last party and
doesnt want to do anything stupid at
this one. They have decided to drink,
but want to stay within safe limits.
List 3 strategies
48
STRATEGIES
List 3 strategies
STRATEGIES
A fight has started at the party in
your house. What can you do?
List 3 strategies
STRATEGIES
A friend of yours is drunk and
is about to go out the back with
someone she has only just met.
No one else is out there. What
can you do?
STRATEGIES
A friend wants you to take alcohol
from your parents cupboard.
What can you do?
List 3 strategies
List 3 strategies
STRATEGIES
STRATEGIES
A friend offers you a drink - but

you dont want another one yet.
What can you do?
Most of your friends are drinking

alcohol, but you dont want to.
What can you do?
List 3 strategies
List 3 strategies
STRATEGIES
STRATEGIES
The party is out of control, and

you want to leave, but you are not
going to be picked up for another
hour.
Your friend is pretty drunk at a

party and is having a lie down on
the couch. Some guys start taking
pictures of her on their phones.
List 3 strategies for getting home

safely
List 3 strategies to look out for her
STRATEGIES
STRATEGIES
You promise your parents you

wont drink - but lots of other
people are. What can you do?
List 3 strategies
A friend has passed out after

drinking a lot. What can you do?
List 3 strategies
49
Recap
the context of what
has come before.
Let students know
lesson.
Lesson 8
Harm Busters
Intention
Devise and articulate strategies to avoid, reduce or
minimise harm in a range of situations involving alcohol
use.
Apply a number of different perspectives in developing
these strategies.
Identify means by which they could call for assistance,
arrange to leave a party safely or refer a friend in need
to adults who can help.
Engage in a self-assessment of the unit of work.
Resources


Scenario cards
Room set up for panel of five out the front
Internet access and/or telephone directories
Pamphlets from local health services
Self assessment sheets photocopied from Teaching
Manual
Copy of guide questions for each group
Activity 1: Harm busters panel

(35 minutes)
AA Explain to students that they will be working as harm

busters on a range of potentially harmful situations relating
to alcohol use.

Their task will be to devise a series of strategies or

advice as if they were a panel of experts.
Each person on the panel will have a particular expertise

and will identify the potential harms and offer advice
from that perspective about what could be done to
prevent or minimise these harms.
The roles are defined on page 30 of Student Reflections

booklet 1.
Roles:
50
Safety Officer - concerned with physical damage to

persons or property.
Relationships Officer - concerned with preserving

relationships with friends, family, neighbours, bosses,
work or schoolmates.
Duty Officer - concerned with commitments to duties

such as study, work and sporting commitments.
Banker - concerned with expenses, profits and losses.
Lateral Thinker - available to offer creative alternatives.
BB Organise students into groups of five (5).

Give each group a scenario and time to prepare advice

and strategies.
Scenarios are listed in the Teaching Manual and can be

photocopied and distributed. Alternatively, scenarios
can be brainstormed by the class or drawn from the
Strategies or Decider cards (see Lesson 7).
Give each group a photocopy of the guide questions.
Guide questions
Photocopy the
harm busters panel
guide questions and
distribute to each
group as a guide.
CC Give each group a chance to operate in front of the class as

the advisory panel.

The group should describe their scenario to the class,

and offer their advice in role.
Focus the rest of class by getting them to list the

common harms and advice from the experts across the
range of scenarios.
At the end of each panel ask the class if they have any
other advice to add.
DD Processing: after all groups have performed ask students:

What were the common harms?
What were the different harms?
What were the common strategies?
What were the different strategies?
Did any strategies stand out as really effective?
EE Students can record their groups advice on page 30 of

Student Reflections booklet 1.
51
Support people and

phone numbers to note:
52
Activity 2: Back up support

(10 minutes)
Ambulance
Health centre
Counsellor
Kids helpline
School personnel
Local doctor (male

and female)
Special youth
services
Activity 3: Self assessment
Drug and alcohol

agency
(5 minutes)
Ask students to begin work on the Back up support list on

page 29 of Student Reflections booklet 1. They will need to
complete it for homework, finding the phone numbers they need.
The numbers for local health centres etc should be located
in class for all to write down, and accompanied by some
discussion about where young people in that neighbourhood
could go for help.
Distribute the self-assessment sheet to students and allow time

for them to complete and return it. (Alternatively, this activity
could be completed in a subsequent session.)
Self assessment
Student homework
You may prefer

students to complete
this activity in the
following session.
Ask students to talk with their parents about what they

recommend that their son/daughter should do if trouble or an
emergency occurs when they are out of the family home.
Harm Buster Scenario
Quan is at a party where a few kids are

drinking heavily. They have been doing
stunt jumping into the pool. Most of the
others at the party are inside the house
and arent drinking or have had only a little.
It gets really noisy outside and when Quan
goes out to look, a friend has knocked
his head on the side of the pool. There is
blood in the water. Someone has dragged
him out of the pool. His other mates want
to leave him beside the pool covered in
towels to sleep it off. He is still bleeding
from the head.
A lot of drinking is going on at the footy club

after the grand final which the under 17 team
won. None of the adults seem to care about
who is drinking; they are all drinking heavily
themselves. Most, but not all of the under 17
team are drinking. Simon is the youngest player
there - a 14 year old in the under 17 team. His
parents are very strict about alcohol and he
knows they would ground him if he joined in.
He is umpiring basketball the next morning - a
job for which he gets paid. This would be the
first thing he would be grounded from. He takes
his sport seriously and has a chance of being a
top athlete as he gets older.
Olivias parents are picking her up from

the party and are also to drop a friend
of hers home. When it is time for her
to go, she realises her friend has been
drinking (though most people at the
party were not) and is now obviously
tipsy - laughing loudly and singing. She
thinks her parents will be shocked.
They were unsure about letting her
go to this party in the first place. She
doesnt see why she should get into
trouble when she wasnt drinking.
Hannah is best friends with Mia. They

are both 14. They are at a party, and
Mia is drunk and is about to go for a
walk with Jack who is 18 and also
drunk. Hannah is concerned that Mia
will regret what she is about to do, and
would not make this choice if she was
sober.
A party is going on out in the bush. A

large fire has been built and kids are
sitting around it. Some are drinking.
Most are not. Alex (13) is one of the
few who has been drinking and he is
quite drunk. He has started waving
around a burning stick, pretending to
attack his friends, and a girl he seems
to like. Burning ashes and sparks are
flying around, landing on peoples
clothes and in their hair.

Jennis dad has been drinking at a
friends barbecue out in the country.
He seems pretty drunk when it is time
to leave. There is a 50 km drive home.
He tells her to get in the car, it is time to
go. She is not sure that she will be safe,
and has seen advertisements that show
what can happen when people drink
drive.
Lauren is at her cousins party. Some

of the people are drinking. An older boy
who she doesnt like seems to be pretty
drunk and wont leave her alone. He
keeps asking her to dance or to go for a
walk and putting his arms around her.

Paige is going to a party where there
will be alcohol. She has spoken to her
parents about this and has been told
it is okay for her to drink provided she
doesnt go overboard. How can she
make sure she stays within sensible
limits?
53

Claire is 14. Her parents are out, but
some of her friends are at her house.
One of them suggests they use whisky
from Claires parents cupboard to mix
with their coke.
54

Oliver is 15. He has been drinking
heavily at a party. He falls down the
stairs and breaks his two front teeth.
His parents have not been told that this
is an unsupervised party, nor did they
expect he or others would be drinking.
Chloe is 14 and is baby-sitting for some

friends of her parents. When Mr and
Mrs Smith arrive home they are both
obviously affected by alcohol. They
are giggly, silly and in such a generous
mood that they insist Chloe should be
paid double. One of them is to drive her
home. She is keen to leave as she has
an early basketball final in the morning,
however, she is not sure she will be
safe in the car with either of them as
driver.
Some Year 10 students are going on a

bushwalking camp towards the end of
the school year. The safety regulations
make it quite clear that anyone taking
or using alcohol would immediately
have their parents informed and be
sent home by taxi (150 km journey).
Jake shows his tent mates a small
bottle of whisky he intends to smuggle
into his pack for their tent group to use
on the first night.
A group of friends ask Elle to put in

some money towards a bottle of spirits
they plan to buy to have at a party the
next night. They say they wont have
enough money if she doesnt put in. She
doesnt want to drink, has other plans
for her money, but this is one of the
most popular groups in the class and
they dont usually bother with her.
Daniels friend (with whom he was

going to walk home) has accepted a lift
from the older brother of another friend.
This guy has been drinking, but is keen
to drive a carload home and show off
his new car. Daniels friend wants
a ride and insists that Daniel should
come too, just for a bit of a laugh, a
spin round the neighbourhood then
straight home ...
Harm Busters Panel

Guide Questions
For the Safety Officer:

Could any physical harm be caused to a person in this situation?

If so, what?
What advice/strategies would you give to help handle this problem?
Could anyones property or belongings get damaged? If so, what or how...?
What advice/strategies would you give to help prevent this damage?
For the Relationships Officer:

Who could get upset, into trouble or into an argument in this situation?
What advice/strategies would you give them?
For the Duty Officer:

Will this situation affect anyones study, work, sport or family commitments?
If so, how, and what advice/strategies would you give?
For the Banker:

Will this cause expense to anyone and if so, to whom?
What advice/strategies would you give?
For the Lateral Thinker:

How could someone escape this situation by applying some creative thinking,
trickery or smart planning?
55
SELF ASSESSMENT
NAME______________________________________
Using the following code, place the letter most closely matching your skills in the
space next to each question: H = High M = Medium L = Low N = Not at all
When working in pairs or small groups I was able to contribute by:

______ Putting forward my ideas
______ Listening to others
______ Encouraging others to join in
SKILLS
In rating my skills in making real life decisions in situations involving
alcohol I can:
______ Make decisions that are right for me
______ Understand that the more you drink the drunker you get
______ List times or places which would make drinking more dangerous
______ Give a number of reasons why people choose NOT to drink
______ List a number of harms that can be caused by drinking
______ Match up harms to the amount of alcohol drunk
______ Give a number of reasons why people do choose to drink
______ Plan for safe travel to or from a party or gathering
______ Work out where to get help if I need it
______ Plan not to drink or work out a low risk level of drinking
______ Carry out decisions I make to keep myself safe
______ Think of pressures that could affect a persons choice about whether to drink
______ Plan ways to help look after a friend in situations involving alcohol
______ Plan ways to stay safe in situations where other people are drinking
KNOWLEDGE
I can work out what a standard drink looks like for the following drinks:
______ Beer
______ Low alcohol beer
______ Wine
______ Alcoholic soda or lemonade
______ Cider
______ Spirits
______ Champagne
56
KNOWLEDGE (continued)
I can:
______ Say what the legal blood alcohol limit is for driving
______ Find the standard drinks information on the bottle or can
______ Understand that some drinks are a lot stronger than others
______ List some of the factors that affect blood alcohol content (BAC)
______ Understand that sobering up cant be speeded up
______ Understand that the liver can only break down around 1 standard drink/hour
______ Work out how long sobering up might take, depending on the person
I know enough / I need to know more about:

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
How much effort I put in:
______ Doing the written work
______ Joining in discussion and group activities
______ Thinking about the topic and situations
______ How
useful I think this topic is for me now and/or in the future
TO THE TEACHER
What I liked about this topic was:
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
What I disliked about this topic was:
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
I recommend that the next time you teach this topic:
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
57
58
Phase Two
The following section contains seven lessons:
Lessons 9 15
Each lesson in Phase Two of the SHAHRP program is of 50

minutes duration. However, because the activities within
each lesson are sequential, lesson duration may be altered
to accommodate timetable constraints eg nine lessons of
40 minutes duration.
It is essential to note, however, that the behavioral impact
of SHAHRP is based on teaching the whole program in
sequence as presented. It is not advisable to teach only
parts of the program.
The lessons in Phase Two have been designed for 13 to
14 year old students and should be taught one year after
Phase One, Lessons 1 - 8. However, they may be taught to
younger or older students depending on local prevalence
of alcohol use (Phase One should be taught to students
immediately prior to experimentation and Phase Two when
experimentation has started).
59
Recap
the context of what
has come before.
Let students know
lesson.
Lesson 9
Standard Drinks
Intention
Revise pouring of standard drinks.
Student reflections
booklet 2
Lessons 9-15 use
student reflections
booklet 2 (the thinner
workbook). It may
be useful to collect
booklets at the end of
each lesson so that all
students have their
booklet in class.
Revise the recommended guidelines for drinking and

discuss their implications for young people.
Revise what factors affect blood alcohol content (BAC).
Resources

Jugs or bottles of water

Food colouring
Measuring jugs
Glasses or disposable tumblers
Prizes (optional)
Student Reflections booklet 2: page 4
Activity 1: Pouring competition

Staff
Try the pouring
competition at a staff
meeting. Be creative
with the prizes in this
context!
(40 minutes)
AA Recap

Remind the class that they have already completed a

lesson on standard drinks in the previous year.
The pouring competition will give them a chance to

draw on or refresh that knowledge.
BB Pouring competition
Challenges and prizes

(optional)
You may wish to have
a prize for the winning
team or to challenge
another class to a
pouring competition.
60
Divide the class into four or five groups.
Each group is to study the standard drinks chart on

page 4 of Student Reflections booklet 2, and then decide
which student will pour each drink - one player for each
drink - beer, low alcohol beer, wine, premixed spirits and
spirits.
CC Play it

The first pourers assemble at the front of the room

where glasses and jugs of coloured water are provided.
They compete in the first round.
The competition is for accuracy (not speed!).
To maximise involvement you may wish to allow

coaching from the floor by having each group appoint
a coach who can call out instructions to the pourer.
Play the next 3 rounds.
If time and resources allow, add other drinks to be

poured.
DD Scoring

The Judges (members of the class) measure drinks to

see which group had the closest estimate and under the
correct amount.
A point is gained for the team with each winning

amount.
Activity 2: Guidelines
Adult guidelines
(10 minutes)
Healthy men and

women should drink
no more than four
(4) standard drinks
on a single occasion
to reduce the risk of
alcohol-related injury
on that occasion.
Read with students the guidelines on page 4 of Student

Reflections booklet 2 and discuss. Ask students:

These are adult guidelines; does anyone know the

guidelines for adolescents?
Why would the guidelines indicate the safest option for

children less than 18 years of age is not to drink any
alcohol?
Who can remember what BAC is?
What factors affect a persons BAC?
How long does it take for the body to metabolise one

standard drink?
Why is it important to know what a standard drink looks

like?
What other factors affect blood alcohol content?
Female guidelines
Females generally have
less body mass than
males; their bodies have
less water and more
fatty tissue. The alcohol
in their system is more
concentrated and therefore
alcohol affects them more
quickly than males. Males
make more of a protective
enzyme that breaks
down alcohol. Females
may metabolise alcohol
more slowly closer to
menstruation. The use of
the contraceptive pill may
slow the metabolic rate.
Although on average,
women reach a
given blood alcohol
concentration faster than
men, men on average
take more risks than
women at a given level of
drinking (most emergency
department presentations
for alcohol-related
injuries involve men). For
this reason the NHMRC
guidelines (2009) have set
the same limits for men
and women.
To reduce the lifetime

risk of harm from
drinking, healthy men
and women should
drink no more than
two (2) standard drinks
in any day. Drinking
less frequently (weekly
rather than daily) and
drinking less on each
occasion reduces
lifetime risk of harm.
Guidelines for young

people
Young people
are generally less
experienced drinkers
and have less body
mass than adults
therefore alcohol will
affect them more
quickly. The safest
option for children and
young people under 18
years of age is not to
drink any alcohol and
to delay the initiation
of drinking for as long
as possible.
61
Recap
the context of what
has come before.
Let students know
lesson.
Lesson 10
The Party
Intention
Identify short term harms that can arise and accidents
that can occur to young people while drinking or in the
company of drinkers.
Plan strategies for reducing or avoiding harm to
themselves or to others in social situations involving
alcohol use.
Resources
DVD/TV or computers to access web version of the
SHAHRP Trigger visual
The SHAHRP Trigger visual (Part A: The party)
Sheets of white paper for brainstorming
White/black board
Student Reflections booklet 2: pages 1, 3
Potential harms
Activity 1: Potential harms at the party
Remind students
to include social,
emotional and
relationship harms
as well as physical or
property harms.
(40 minutes)
AA Introduction - focus students

Tell students they will be watching a short trigger visual

to use as the basis for some thinking and discussion
about what can happen at parties.
Because it is a short trigger they will need to watch it a

couple of times to look for different things.
Put the characters on the board and play the video telling
the students to try to identify the following characters:
Lisa: the really drunk girl

Matt: the guy who poured Lisas drink
Kate: a non-drinker who goes out with Andrew
Andrew: Kates boyfriend who vomits in the car
BB Replay

Play the visual again. Ask students to watch for potential

harms or things that could go wrong at or after the party.
CC Brainstorm
62
Put students into groups of about four.
Ask students to brainstorm a list of POTENTIAL HARMS

AT OR AFTER THE PARTY on a large piece of white paper.
Ask students to list at least a twelve items.
Record on page 1 of Student Reflections booklet 2.
DD Reporting

Pin up the groups lists on the classroom walls.
Have each group report two harms from their list.
When each group has provided two harms ask groups

if they have any more to add to the class list (record on
the board).
EE Coding

Code the harms on the board according to those which

are most likely to occur.
FF Reducing harm

Allocate two harms for each group and ask them to

devise realistic strategies for reducing, or minimising
that harm, or for dealing with the harm after it had
happened.
GG Reporting

Each group reports back to class.
Gather other suggestions from the whole class on how

to realistically stop the harm from happening or how to
realistically reduce the harm once it has occurred.
Complete written activity on page 1 of Student

Reflections booklet 2.
Activity 2: Recording
(10 minutes)
Advice

Set students the following task: Write your advice to one

of the characters at the party, assuming that character
wants to have a good time at the party, but come to no
harm.
Remember information from previous lesson about

what standard drinks look like, how long it takes to
metabolise one standard drink, and what sorts of things
affect BAC. (Use page 3 of Student Reflections booklet 2
to complete this activity.)
Ask some students to share their advice with the class.
Ask class:

Is this realistic advice?
Will it prevent harm?
What else might create harm? (other peoples use)
63
Recap
the context of what
has come before.
Let students know
lesson.
Lesson 11
Vulnerability
Intention
Revise the concept of standard drinks and estimate and
measure spirit based drinks.
Identify the ways in which young people are vulnerable
to sexual harm while drunk or in the company of
drunken people.
Identify other alcohol related harms young people might
experience.
Identify strategies to reduce further harms from
occurring after alcohol related incidents.
Create a conversation about alcohol related harm and
strategies to prevent further harm.
Resources
DVD/TV or computers to access web version of the
SHAHRP Trigger visual
The SHAHRP Trigger visual
White/black board/large sheets of white paper
Water, glasses and a measuring jug
Student Reflections booklet 2: pages 2, 4, 5, 6
Sobering up
Activity 1: Alcohol use at the party
Remind students that

sobering up cannot
be speeded up. The
liver takes time to
break down alcohol
- around 1 hour for
every standard drink
of alcohol, depending
on the person.
(20 minutes)
AA Focus students

Watch the SHAHRP Trigger visual (Part A: The party)

again. This time look to see:
Who was drinking?
The levels of use and non-use of alcohol?
Any efforts to sober up or make someone appear

sober?
BB In pairs
64
Have students complete page 2 of Student Reflections

booklet 2.
Discuss answers using the following questions for

analysis:
Who was drinking at the party?
Who was not drinking?
For whom could you not tell whether theyd been

drinking?
What sorts of drinks were chosen?
Who was drinking heavily? Moderately? Only a

little? Were all the boys out the back drinking to the
same level?
How many were drunk?
What attempts were made to sober someone up or

make him or her appear sober?
CC Standard drinks

Refer to page 4 of Student Reflections booklet 2.
Ask students the following questions:
Think about the girl drinking spirits from the bottle how many sips might it take to add up to a standard
drink?
Think about the girl who had a drink of spirits and

coke poured for her by the boy - how many standard
drinks would have been in her glass?
Do you think either of the girls knew how much they

were drinking?
What are the potential harms these girls might

experience?
What could they do to reduce the potential harms?
If the boy only had the stubby we saw him drink,

and it was full strength beer, how many standard
drinks would he have had?
If the boy and the girls repeat their chosen drink,

how many standard drinks would each have drunk?
Standard drinks
Have a volunteer
measure sip size
and calculate its
proportion of a
standard drink.
Have someone pour
a similar drink to the
coke/spirits drink and
work out how many
standard drinks would
have been in the
glass.
Group tasks
Each group will need
a recorder to write
down the ideas on the
sheet of paper and a
reporter to report back
to the whole class on
behalf of the group.
(Alternatively,
students can use
pages 5 or 6 of
Student Reflections
booklet 2.)
Activity 2: Party aftermath

(30 minutes)
AA Focus students

Have students watch the SHAHRP Trigger visual (Part B:

Guess What I Heard). Ask students to focus on the harms
that have occurred after the party.
BB Brainstorm the harms that occurred. Key points to include:

Gossip about Lisa and Matt.
Lisa seems unsure about what happened with Matt and

is upset.
Lisas close friend seems upset.
Andrew vomited in Kates dads car on the way home

from the party and he missed the football game letting
friends down.
Andrew has done this before.
Kate is in trouble with her family.
Andrew hasnt spoken to Kate and he is embarrassed

and confused about what to do.
Range of harms and

strategies
Ensure that a
comprehensive
range of harms is
considered (social,
emotional, sexual,
physical) as well as
a comprehensive
range of supportive
strategies. The
emphasis of this
lesson is the
development of
appropriate strategies.
65
Research about young

women
CC Harms and strategies

Young women who

drink alcohol are at
risk of sexual coercion.
Alcohol consumption
increases the risk
of sexual assault
as victims become
less able to detect
dangerous situations.

Reaching realistic
strategies
Make sure you allow
enough time for
groups to think up
and explore as many
harm minimisation
strategies as
they have harms.
Strategies which are
peer generated may
be more credible than
teacher suggestions
and will certainly be
more relevant and
useful for young
people.
66
Break the class into groups of four. Put a list of the

characters on the board in order to identify them by
name (see following list of characters):
Lisa - the really drunken girl found in dark room with

buttons done up wrong
Matt - the year 12 boy with Lisa, he poured her the

drink
Kate non-drinker, girlfriend of Andrew, waits out

the front for her dad at end of party
Andrew - the really drunken boy, vomited in Kates

dads car
Allocate each group one of the four characters (refer to

pages 5 or 6 of Student Reflections booklet 2.)
Ask groups to:
Brainstorm as many possible outcomes, or HARMS that

could result for the character at the party. This includes
immediate harms and future harms.
Devise and write down as many STRATEGIES for

preventing the harms before they occurred (planning
control), and reducing or dealing with those harms after
they have occurred (damage control).
DD Reporting harms and strategies

Bring the class back together and ask the reporter from
each group to tell the class about two of the possible
harms or outcomes and two harm reduction strategies
they identified for their character(s).
Rotate through groups who had the same character,

each group suggesting different harms and strategies.
Do the same for each character.
When discussing strategies ask questions like:
What would it take to make this strategy work? How

easy/hard would it be?
Who could help?
How far should people go to protect or support their

friends?
What can friends do to prevent the harm from

happening in the first place?
What can friends do after the event to assist those at

risk?
What services and people are available in school

and the community for teenagers in these sorts of
situations?
EE Creating a conversation

Divide groups into pairs.
One is the character, the other a concerned friend.
Create a conversation with your character about what

happened, why it happened, how they feel about it and
what they could do to reduce further harms (damage
control).
Get students to play the conversation (all at one time).

Ask students:
Was this task difficult or easy why?
Ask the friend how the character was now feeling about
what had happened.
Ask the characters if they would use any of the

strategies suggested why/why not?
Ask the friends how difficult was it to think up realistic

strategies to help? Why/why not?
Do you think these strategies would work in the real

world? Why/why not?
What are some more realistic strategies that could be

used?
Teacher homework
You will need two sets of Harm Discussion cards for lesson 12.
67
Recap
the context of what
has come before.
Let students know
lesson.
Harms
Alcohol accounts
for 13 percent of
all deaths among
1417-year-old
Australians it has
been estimated
that one Australian
teenager dies and
more than 60 are
hospitalised each
week from alcoholrelated causes.
Role play advice

Freeze the role play if
you want to highlight
an important strategy
that a group comes
up with or if you want
input from the class.
Freeze and rewind if
things go off course
(ie the actors get
distracted/things turn
silly) and you want the
role play to start again
from a particular point.
Inter-related nature of
health issues
Allow and encourage
any discussion about
sexuality, reputation,
relationships,
friendships, and
conflict which may
occur. There is an
overlap between the
topics of alcohol,
relationships,
sexuality, self-esteem
and mental health.
68
Lesson 12
Dealing With Harms
Intention
Outline strategies to minimise the harms that could
occur to themselves or to others.
Identify ways of maintaining personal beliefs and
standards when amongst others with different beliefs
and standards.
Resources
Two sets of the Harm Discussion cards
White/black board/large white sheets of paper
Activity 1: Harms
(40 minutes)
AA Divide the class into groups of four. Allocate each group a

role play scenario and some large sheets of white paper.
BB Allow each group 10 minutes to brainstorm all the harms
and strategies related to their scenario.
CC Direct students to the role play on their card. Allow 5-10
minutes for students to practice their role play. Remind
students there is to be no violence and the strategies need
to be realistic. (If you feel you need to control the role play
freeze it or rewind it).
DD Groups perform the role play. Focus class by getting them
to decide what the potential harms might be and if the
strategies would work in the real world.
Following the reputation role plays ask the class:

Are the reputations of males and females at risk in the

same way?
Are females more vulnerable to harm than males? Why/
why not?
Do the pressures on boys and girls differ?
What strategies can males and females use to protect
themselves in such situations?
Could their friends have played a role to help prevent
such a situation from occurring?
Are there any differences in the way young women and
young men look after friends of the same sex?
Following the violence role plays ask the class:

Are boys more likely to be involved in violent situations

than girls? Why/why not?
What situations are most likely to trigger violence?
Why do you think some people are more violent when
drunk?
What can you do if a fight breaks out and you are an
onlooker?
What can you do if someone wants to fight you?
Can friends help prevent such a situation from occurring?
Following the predictions role plays ask the class:

What might happen physically and emotionally to a

young person if they continue to drink heavily?
What might happen over the next 2 years, 5 years, 10
years, 20 years?
What do you think will happen to any relationships this
person might have? Why?
If this person was your friend, what advice would you
give him/her?
Following the cyber safety role plays ask the class:

What are some other situations where photos could be

taken?
What could be the outcomes of these?
Could their friends have played a role to help prevent
such a situation from occurring?
Processing following completion of the role plays ask the

class:

Were these scenarios realistic? Why/why not?

How does someone maintain his or her personal
standards when drunk?
How does someone maintain their personal standards
when among people with different standards?
(10 minutes)
Ask students to complete page 7 of Student Reflections booklet

2, using ideas generated in the class discussion to help them.
This can be done in pairs. If time allows discuss some of the
strategies students came up with.
Teacher homework
You will need a set of Ranking the Risk cards for Lesson 13.
Research about alcohol

and violence
Studies suggest
that alcohol related
violence involving
young people is
more likely to occur
at crowded venues,
parties and in the
home. Young people
consistently identify
violence as a potential
harm in drinking
situations.
Cyber safety
The consequences
of uploading
compromising photos
and videos online can
be devastating and
include damage to
reputation, emotional
stress, legal outcomes
(eg from posting
provocative or sexual
photos), bullying
and even suicide.
There may also be
serious consequences
regarding
employment
opportunities.
Strategies for reducing

harm
The development of
strategies to avoid
or minimise harm
experienced by young
people in drinking
situations is the
primary aim of the
SHAHRP program.
Provide students with
ample opportunity
to brainstorm and
develop their own
strategies for avoiding
or minimising
potential harms.
69
HARM DISCUSSION CARD - REPUTATION

Remember the different harms and strategies for Matt and Lisa.
Role play scenario: Elle is 15. She is at a party where there are some older
guys and they have been drinking for a couple of hours. Elle has had a
couple of drinks and is feeling a bit tipsy. Joe, one of the older guys, has
been talking to Elle for a while and suggests they go outside where it is
quieter. Elle is quite flattered by the attention. Elles friends are concerned
because they dont know Joe and feel he may take advantage of the
situation. What can they do to prevent any harm coming to Elle?
HARM DISCUSSION CARD - VIOLENCE

Role play scenario: Alex is at a party with some friends. They have had a
couple of beers but are not drunk. They go outside where some guys have
been drinking heavily. Alex accidentally bumps into a guy and the guy
drops his drink. It smashes. The guy is angry and is threatening to hit Alex.
What can Alex and his friends do to prevent this situation from ending in a
fight? NB THERE MUST BE NO PHYSICAL VIOLENCE.
HARM DISCUSSION CARD - PREDICTIONS

Role play scenario: Chloe and Jake go to parties at least once a month
and nearly always get drunk by mixing alcohol with an energy drink.
Sometimes they throw up, other times they cant remember what they did.
Their friends are concerned about their drinking, especially about what
may happen in the future if they continue to drink heavily all the time.
Create a realistic conversation with Chloe and Jake about their concerns.
HARM DISCUSSION CARD - CYBER SAFETY

Role play scenario: At the party last weekend Oliver got drunk. He vomited
and passed out. His friends Rich and Jack took photographs of him on
their phone and are planning to post them online for a laugh. Some of
Olivers other friends are concerned about the potential impact of this.
What could they do? Create a realistic conversation with Rich and Jack
about their concerns.
70
Lesson 13
Risk Ranking
Intention
Recap
the context of what
has come before.
Let students know
lesson.
Identify risks associated with the circumstances, people,

or places in which alcohol is consumed.
Predict situations or patterns of consumption which are
likely to be of lower risk.
Laminating
Anticipate situations which are likely to be of higher risk.
If you have
downloaded this
resource from the
internet, you may
wish to photocopy
the Ranking the Risk
cards onto coloured
board, laminate and
cut out so you can use
them again.
Resources
Set of Ranking the Risk cards
Activity 1: Ranking the risk

(40 minutes)
AA Seat the class in a circle. Distribute a risk card to each

student.
BB Explain that each person is required to think up a scenario
to match their card, adding some detail to the situation
which involves alcohol use (eg the person, the place and
how much alcohol has been consumed).

Students will be required to place their card on a

continuum, showing whether they consider it to be very
risky, moderately risky or of low risk.
The right answer

There is no right
answer in this activity.
The game is designed
to promote prediction,
speculation and
thinking forward to
what might happen.
CC Students take turns to place their cards out on the floor

along the imaginary line from highest to lowest risk.

As they put out their card, ask them to say something

about the scenario, explaining the possible risk, and
saying why they have chosen to place it at that stage of
the line.
When it is their turn, they may also move anyone elses
card if they dont agree with where it has been put, as
long as they explain why.
Alternative activity
This activity can be
done in small groups
if class size is difficult
to manage. Give
each group a set of
risk card to rank
consensus decision of
placement of cards.
Then the teacher
chooses some cards
and asks the questions
in section D.
71
Debate
Encourage debate,
counter-argument and
thinking of new ideas.
Information
Use this as an
opportunity to top up
or remind students of
certain information,
particularly myth
busting. For example,
you can die of
drinking a large
amount of alcohol
in one episode,
drinking can harm the
unborn child, a large
percentage of teenage
drowning occurs
in connection with
alcohol use.
DD Use the following questions along the way to extend the

thinking of your students:

What do you predict could happen in this situation

which might cause harm?
How or when might this situation come about in the first

place?
What pressures or influences might young people be

under in this sort of situation?
What might get in the way of young people looking after

their own or someone elses safety?
Is there anything about the place or the circumstances

that makes the use of alcohol more risky?
What could be done to lessen the risk of harm in a

situation like that?
In this neighbourhood, what risks would that situation

bring?
Is there anything about this neighborhood that makes it

more or less risky for young people?
Where are young people at most risk of coming to harm

in situations involving alcohol?
Where are young people at least risk of coming to harm

in situations involving alcohol?
(10 minutes)
When the activity and discussion are complete, ask students

to record their own ranking on page 8 of Student Reflections
booklet 2. This may or may not be the same as what has been
laid out by the group. Ask them to record under the headings:
Very High Risk, High Risk, Moderate Risk, Low Risk, and
Insignificant Risk.
Teacher homework
Photocopy and cut out Key Questions and advice sheets (one
per group or partnership).
72
RISK CARDS
Letting a stranger drive you home

Having one or two drinks at a party
Letting a drunk adult drive you home
Drinkers on the street
looking for action
Mixing alcohol with energy drinks
Posing for a photograph
while intoxicated
Sending an open party invitation
via a social networking site
Leaving your drink unattended
while you go to the bathroom
73
RISK CARDS
Drinking at home with parents

Tasting drinks at parents party
Drinking from the spirits bottle at a party
Drinking on public transport
Drinking in the local park
Drinking on a fishing trip
Drinking at the footy club break-up
Drinking on a boat
74
RISK CARDS
Drinking in a car
Having a glass of champagne
at a wedding
Drinking a whole bottle of whisky
Drinking plus using other drugs
Drinking to get drunk
Drinking a lot every day
Binge drinking
Getting into a car with a drunk driver
75
RISK CARDS
Joy riding after drinking

Going with gatecrashers to a party
Going to an unsupervised party
Drinking at the local pub
Helping a group of drunk
friends walk home
Having a party while your
parents are away
Drinking outside a no-alcohol event
Driving when drunk
76
RISK CARDS
Sleeping over at a party

Going to a party without pre-arranging
a safe lift home
Having unprotected sex whilst drunk
Letting a stranger get you drunk
Arriving home drunk
Letting someone else mix your drinks
Spiking the fruit punch
Drinking and driving while on probation
77
Recap
the context of what
has come before.
Let students know
lesson.
Lesson 14
Getting It Said
Intention
Rehearse assertive and protective behaviours.
Anticipate and plan for conflict resolution, negotiation
and peer support.
Resources

Key questions
Advice sheets, one per group or partnership
Scenario cards for role-play
Whistle for use during role-play
Student Reflections booklet 2: pages 9, 10
(Key questions and advice sheets are provided in the
SHAHRP package, or can be downloaded from the
SHAHRP website ndri.curtin.edu.au/shahrp)
Keep realistic
Activity 1: Advice
Make sure the dos and

donts are realistic and
aim to keep people
safe.
(20 minutes)
AA Introduction

Divide the class into small group or pairs and allocate

the key questions.
Explain to the class that they are to pool their thinking to

create a realistic strategies and advice booklet.
Each group will be assigned a key question and an

advice sheet. They will record their dos and donts on
the sheets which will then be collected for display or
made into a booklet.
Emphasise that they will need to spend a few minutes

discussing and thinking up their advice first. The
students will need to consider strategies/advice
for before, during and after the harm that they are
addressing. Remind them that teenagers often go to
their friends for advice or support and that they may one
day be called upon for advice.
Allow ten minutes for completion of the activity.
BB Reporting
78
Organise for a group member to report back to the class

around the dos and donts.
Others in the class may wish to challenge or add to what

is said.
Collect the sheets for later display or publication.
CC Ask students to complete the Advice to a teenager on page

10 of Student Reflections booklet 2 around a key question of
interest to them. (This may be completed for homework.)
Activity 2: Getting it said

(20 minutes)
AA Introduction

Explain to the class that often the real challenge is not in

thinking up strategies/advice to reduce alcohol related
harm, but in carrying it out.
They will be using role-play to try out some of the

scenes and show a range of different ways to handle
some of the situations discussed in the Advice activity.
The aim is to get a real life sense of how to handle these

situations.
Explain that the class is to try out some of the scenes

identified in the key questions.
The idea is to experiment with different ways of carrying

out the scene.
You will be telling them WHO they are and WHAT the
scene is about.
A whistle will signal them to stop and start.
Put class into pairs and ask them to allocate themselves

as A or B.
BB Organisation

Have the A people place their chairs in a large circle,

facing outwards, and sit on them.
Have the B people, their partners, stand opposite them.
After every round ask the Bs to move clockwise one

space to partner a different A.
Allow each interaction to last only about 30 seconds

before blowing a whistle for them to stop and issuing
the next instruction.
Protective and assertive

behaviours
Getting it said allows
students to rehearse
protective and
assertive behaviours.
Time
Let each scene run
for a maximum of 30
seconds. Blow the
whistle to start and
stop.
Noise
This activity will be
noisy and you will
need a whistle to
direct students. You
may need to consider
a room change or
warn the teachers in
the class next you
prior to the lesson.
INSTRUCTIONS
ROUND 1

A: You are sitting down and you are the friend of B. You
vomited in Bs dads car on the way home from the party
last night. Here comes B to talk about this with you.
B: Get an apology or an offer to pay for the cleaning by

HINTING that this is what you want.
A: Just respond the way you think you would - with one
rule - no violence.
Now replay the scene, but:

B: This time try getting that apology by ORDERING A to

clean up or pay.
A: Again just respond the way you think you would remembering the no violence rule.
79
Remember
Let each scene run
for a maximum of 30
seconds. Blow the
whistle to stop.
Stop and replay again

B: This time your job is to get what you want by

ENTHUSING or ENCOURAGING - get A to want to clean
up or pay up.
Ask students:

Which way of asking was the most effective in getting

what they wanted?
ROUND 2

B moves on one space to a new partner.This time:
A: You are the guy/girl who has missed the last few
games due to hangovers. Here comes B who plays in
your team and is a friend.
B: You dont want A to miss any more games. You

want him/her not to drink so much tonight. If you lose
tomorrows game youre out of the finals. Youre also a
bit worried about how drunk he/she has been getting
and what might happen to him/her. Raise the topic by
HINTING.
Stop and replay again

B: This time, raise the topic by JOKING OR TEASING.
A: Just respond the way you think you would.
Try other replays

B: Try PLEADING OR BEGGING; INSISTING or MAKING A

REQUEST (ASKING).
A: Again just respond the way your think you would in

this situation.
Ask students:


what they wanted?
ROUND 3:

Rotate to another partner - then swap so the Bs are

sitting and the As are standing.
B: You are a teenager. You like partying but you dont

drink and dont intend to drink at the party tonight.
A: You are a friend and you want B to put in some

money to buy alcohol for the party tonight.
A: Try to get money by DEMANDING.
B: Try refusing by laughing, changing the topic, and

putting the problem back on A.
Try other replays eg TEASING, then ENTHUSING.

Ask students:
80
When was it easy/ hard to say No?
What other tactics do people use when people want you

to do something with or for them?
How do you handle those tactics if you want to say No?
How do you avoid ending up in a fight?
How else can you say No and still stay friends?
ROUND 4:

Move on to work with another partner.
A: You think its time to call for medical help. Your friend
has been unconscious for an hour since hitting his
head. People keep telling you he drank too much and is
sleeping it off, but you arent sure.
B: The party is at your house. You dont want to call an

ambulance or parents as you werent supposed to be
having this party while your parents are away.
A: Get B to agree to call for help by INSISTING.
Try other replays

A: Try BEGGING, then REASONING, then THREATENING,

then REASSURING.
Ask students:


what they wanted?
ROUND 5:

Move on to work with another partner.
A: You are a P plate driver. Youre offering B a lift home.

Youve been drinking.
B: You are a friend. You know you shouldnt accept this

lift, but you havent organised anything else.
A: Get B to come with you by ENTHUSING.
B: Try different ways of refusing. Exit if you need to.
Try other replays

A: Try TEASING, then TEMPTING, then REASSURING.
Ask students:


what they wanted?
CC Ask students the following questions:

Which scenes would be easiest to deal with in real life?
Which scene would be hardest to deal with in real life?
What can you do if everyone around you wants to do

something and you dont?
How can you disagree, remain friends and remain safe?
(10 minutes)

Ask students to complete the Getting it Said activity on

page 9 of Student Reflections booklet 2.
81
82
KEY QUESTIONS
HOW do you deal with

someone who is coming
on too strong?
HOW do you tell a friend

they are drinking too
much at parties?
HOW do you deal with a

friend who puts you down
if you choose not to drink/
smoke etc?
WHAT could a girl say to a

boyfriend who gets drunk
and vomits (once on her)
at parties?
WHAT could a boy say

to a girlfriend who gets
drunk and vomits (once on
him) at parties?
WHAT should a teenager

do if they have damaged
a friends property whilst
drunk?
HOW could a group of

guys encourage one of
their mates not to keep
missing the game due to a
hangover?
WHAT kind of agreement

could friends make about
looking out for each other
at parties?
WHAT could you say if

you call for help (eg from
parents, police etc) at a
party that has got out of
hand?
HOW can you look cool,

hang out with your friends
when theyre getting
drunk and not get drunk
yourself?
HOW can you talk to your

parents about alcohol and
parties?
WHAT can you do/say if

a drunk person wants to
fight you at a party?
HOW does someone

who wants to drink
more make sure that
they dont get drunk?
83
ADVICE TO A TEENAGER
Key Question: _____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
DO
DONT
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
ADVICE TO A TEENAGER
Key Question: _____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
84
DO
DONT
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
Lesson 15
Helping A Friend
Intention
Recap
the context of what
has come before.
Let students know
lesson.
Identify realistic and appropriate strategies for young

people regarding alcohol related injuries.
Engage in a self assessment of the unit of work.
Resources
Set of Helping a Friend scenarios.
A class set of Student Self-Assessment forms
photocopied from the Teaching Manual.
Access some what to do or self help information
business cards from your local alcohol authority to hand
out to students at the end of the class.
Get an online copy of the St John Ambulance DRSABCD
Action Plan / Resuscitation.
Activity 1: Helping a friend

(35 minutes)
AA Introduction

Divide the class into groups of about 4-5.
Allocate each group one of the Helping a Friend

scenarios, a piece of butchers paper and a texta.
Each group must select a reporter. The groups are to

discuss and then list what they would do if they were
the people in the scenario.
Each group should address the following and put

answers on butchers paper:
What did your group decide to do?
Why did your group choose particular strategies?
What are the possible consequences of these

strategies for you and the injured person?
How realistic are these strategies for the young

people described in the scenario?
How likely is it that this scenario will occur in real

life?
What could you do if you didnt have access to a

phone?
How could this situation have been prevented?
85
First Aid
If you are unsure
about the correct first
aid procedures refer to
the St Johns booklet.
Get groups to read their scenario and role play their

response.
Focus audience on potential consequences and

appropriateness of strategies.
After each role play teacher reinforces the correct first

aid procedure
After each role play ask students:
DRSABCD
What are the possible consequences of these

strategies for you and the injured person?
For all first aid

situations the first
priority is to follow the
DRSABCD action plan:
How realistic are these strategies for the young

people described in the scenario?
How likely is it this scenario will occur in real life?
What could you do if you didnt have access to a

phone?
How could this situation have been prevented?
Danger
Response
Send for help
Airway
Breathing
CPR
Defibrillation
See DRSABCD Action
Plan / Resuscitation,
St John Ambulance,
Australia.
Urgent Medical Aid

Call triple zero
(000) and ask for an
ambulance.
(If you are not in
Australia change to
your local emergency
service number)
Seek Medical Aid

Call triple zero
(000) and ask for
an ambulance and
advice.
86
BB Role play
Teacher Talk

Reinforce with students that if in doubt call triple zero

(000) and ask for an ambulance.
Paramedics are not obliged to involve the police.
If you dont feel comfortable contacting parents, that will

happen at the hospital.
Correct First Aid procedures

Scenario 1: Jack
First Aid:
DRSABCD
Stop bleeding
Pad bleeding and bandage with clean material
Seek urgent medical aid because bleeding from the
head could indicate the following injuries:
Fractured skull
Internal bleeding
Excessive blood loss
Concussion
Scenario 2: Lin
First Aid:
DRSABCD
Seek medical aid if:
Parents cannot be contacted
In doubt
Headache gets worse
Patient becomes drowsy
Patient begins to vomit
Patient loses consciousness (urgent medical aid)
Contact parent or take patient home

Someone must stay with patient until parents arrive (a
headache could be a sign of other head injuries).
Scenario 3: Sarah
First Aid:
DRSABCD
Contact parents
Rest and reassure patient
In doubt
Patient experiences difficulty breathing (gasping for
air)
Rnoticeable change in the make-up of the vomit
(blood)
Patient becomes drowsy
Patient loses consciousness (urgent medical aid)
Scenario 4: Alex
First Aid:
DRSABCD (If in shallow water drag the patient onto the
beach. If in deep water and you are intoxicated and/
or have no life saving experience it is not advisable to
attempt a rescue because you could be putting your
own life in danger. In this situation, seek help eg try to
wave down a car. If possible ring 000 and advise of the
situation.
Seek urgent medical aid (tell someone to locate a phone
and call an ambulance).
If breathing but unconscious place in the coma position
and observe airway, breathing and circulation.
If not breathing begin CPR.
If unsure
Stress that for all
situations if the
student is scared
or in doubt about
what to do, call
triple zero (000) for
an ambulance and
advice.
Contacting parents
If parents cannot
be contacted or
the students feel
uncomfortable about
contacting them this
will, in most cases, be
done by the attending
medical doctor for
patients under the
age of 16. Ambulance
paramedics treat the
victim on the scene
and transport them
to hospital; they do
not contact parents
and are not obliged to
involve the police.
Scenario 5: Jenny
First Aid:
DRSABCD
Seek urgent medical aid/contact parents
If breathing, place patient in the coma position and
observe airway, breathing and circulation. (If unsure
how to do this inform ambulance contact on phone and
they will advise you)
If not breathing begin CPR (if unsure how to do this
inform ambulance contact on phone and they will advise
you).
87
Scenario 6: Sam
First Aid:
DRSABCD

DO NOT REMOVE OBJECT
Place clean padding around object and secure with a

bandage (not over object)
Contact parents
Rest and reassure patient
Bleeding cannot be controlled
In doubt
Handout what to do or self help information business

cards if you have managed to get some from your local
alcohol authority.
Activity 2: Self assessment

(15 minutes)
Distribute the self-assessment sheet (photocopied from

the teacher manual) to students and allow time for them to
complete and return it.
88
Helping a Friend
Scenario 1
Helping a Friend
Scenario 2
Jack is 14. He is at a party at a friends

house. There are no adults at the
party. Some of the kids are drinking
alcohol. Jack has drunk one can of
light beer. Jacks friend, who has been
drinking heavily, stumbles outside and
knocks his head on the pavement. He
is conscious but bleeding quite heavily
from the back of the head.
Lin is 14. She is with a small group of

friends at a park. It is 9 pm and they
have all been drinking wine. One of the
group falls off a park bench hits her
head and loses consciousness for a
short time. She says she is okay but has
a bit of a headache.
Helping a Friend
Scenario 3
Helping a Friend
Scenario 4
Sarah is 15. It is the last day of school.

Sarah and some of her friends decide
to wag school and go back to Sarahs
house. Sarahs parents are at work.
They decide to sample some vodka
from the drinks cupboard. One of
Sarahs friends drinks more than the
others and after a while begins to vomit
violently. The episodes of vomiting
continue.
Alex is 15. He is with a group of

friends at the beach. They have all
been drinking beer but not heavily. It
is 8 pm and they all decide to go for a
swim. Alex gets out of the water first
and notices one of his friends being
dumped then floating face down in the
water.
Helping a Friend
Scenario 5
Helping a Friend
Scenario 6
Jenny is 14. She arrives home after

playing basketball to find her older
sister asleep on the lounge room floor.
When Jenny approaches her sister she
sees an empty bottle of spirits on the
floor next to her and notices that she
smells very strongly of alcohol. Jennys
parents have gone out to dinner and
are not expected home until late.
Sam is 15. He is having a party at his

parents house. Sam has not been
drinking much because he doesnt
want things to get out of control while
his parents are out. Some of his friends
are drinking quite heavily. Two of them
begin to push each other around. One
of them falls and lands on a broken
beer stubby. He has a large piece of
glass stuck in his hand.
89
SELF ASSESSMENT
NAME______________________________________
Using the following code, place the letter most closely matching your skills in the
space next to each question: H = High M = Medium L = Low N = Not at all
When working in pairs or small groups I was able to contribute by:

______ Putting forward my ideas
______ Listening to others
______ Encouraging others to join in
SKILLS
In rating my skills in making real life decisions in situations involving
alcohol I can:
______ Make decisions that are right for me
______ Understand that the more you drink the drunker you get
______ Give a number of reasons why people choose NOT to drink
______ Match up harms to the amount of alcohol drunk
______ Plan for safe travel to or from a party or gathering
______ Plan not to drink or work out a low risk level of drinking
______ Think of pressures that could affect a persons choice about whether to drink
______ Plan ways to help look after a friend in situations involving alcohol
______ Plan ways to stay safe in situations where other people are drinking
______ Understand that drinking does not equal drunk
______ List a number of harms that can be caused by drinking
______ List a number of harms that can occur in social situations involving alcohol
______ Give a number of reasons why people DO choose to drink
______ List times or places which would make drinking more dangerous
______ List times or places which would make drinking less dangerous
______ Work out where to get help if I need it
______ Carry out decisions I make to keep myself safe
______ Plan how to help someone with an alcohol related injury
______ Plan how to maintain personal standards and beliefs when in situations
involving alcohol
______ Think of ways to deal with pressure from others in social situations
involving alcohol
90
KNOWLEDGE
I can work out what a standard drink looks like for the following drinks:
______ Beer
______ Cider
______ Low alcohol beer
______ Spirits
______ Wine
______ Champagne
______ Alcoholic soda or lemonade
______ Spirit based drinks (mixed)
I can:
______ Say what the legal blood alcohol limit is for driving
______ Understand that some drinks are a lot stronger than others
______ Understand the liver can only break down around 1 standard drink per hour
______ Work out how long sobering up might take, depending on the person
______ Find the standard drinks information on the bottle or can
______ List some of the factors that affect blood alcohol content (BAC)
______ Understand that sobering up cant be speeded up
______ List the correct first aid procedures for some injuries involving alcohol
I know enough / I need to know more about:

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
How much effort I put in:
______ Doing the written work
______ Joining in discussion and group activities
______ Thinking about the topic and situations
______ How
useful I think this topic is for me now and/or in the future
TO THE TEACHER
What I liked about this topic was:
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
What I disliked about this topic was:
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
I recommend that the next time you teach this topic:
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
91
Congratulations!
If you have taught the SHAHRP program as it is documented
in this manual it is likely that you have helped your students
reduce the alcohol related harm that they experience.
The evidence based findings of the SHAHRP longitudinal
study showed that students who participate in SHAHRP have
significantly:
Less alcohol consumption
Safer patterns of alcohol consumption (less binge drinking)
Less harm associated with their own use of alcohol
More alcohol related knowledge
Safer alcohol related attitudes
Visit the SHAHRP website for further details on the behavioural
impact of the program ndri.curtin.edu.au/shahrp.
92
ndri.curtin.edu.au/shahrp

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SHAHRP

School Health and Alcohol Harm Reduction Project

Reducing alcohol use and harm with young people

The National Drug Research Institute is funded by the Australian Government

School Health and Alcohol Harm Reduction Project (SHAHRP)

National Drug Research Institute

Further information is available on the SHAHRP website at

Impact of the SHAHRP program on young peoples behaviour

10% greater alcohol related knowledge.

20% lower alcohol consumption (total).

19.5% less risky alcohol consumption (binge drinking).

33% less harm associated with their own consumption of alcohol.

10% less harm associated with other peoples consumption of alcohol.

Importance of teaching the SHAHRP program as it is presented

SHAHRP research publications

Updating the SHAHRP program

A systematic literature review of the drug education field.

Changes to prevalence data.

Details of additional harms experienced by contemporary youth, and harm reduction

Research evidence basis of the SHAHRP program

The harm minimisation approach used by SHAHRP

Lesson 1 - The big picture

Lesson 2 - Why people use alcohol

Lesson 3 - Alcohol and the body

Lesson 4 - Whats in a drink?

Lesson 5 - Identifying harms and strategies

Lesson 6 - Mastering media messages

Lesson 8 - Harm busters

Lesson 9 - Standard drinks

Lesson 10 - The party

Lesson 12 - Dealing with harms

Lesson 13 - Risk ranking

Lesson 14 - Getting it said

Lesson 15 - Helping a friend

INTRODUCTION TO THE SHAHRP PROGRAM

Previous alcohol education in schools

Why does the SHAHRP program work?

Details of the SHAHRP program

The SHAHRP program components include:

Student workbooks are available for each phase to stimulate and

(12 year olds)

(13 year olds)

(14 year olds)

Year after Phase

SHAHRP behavioural results

Consumed 20% less alcohol.

Were 19.5% less likely to drink to harmful or hazardous levels.

Had 10% greater alcohol related knowledge.

Had safer alcohol-related attitudes.

Consumed 31.4% and 31.7% less alcohol.

Were 25.7% and 33.8% less likely to drink to risky levels.

Maximising behaviour change in students

Why focus on alcohol?

RESEARCH EVIDENCE BASIS OF THE SHAHRP PROGRAM

Timing and programming

In the context of a developmentally appropriate school health curriculum:

Content and teaching methodology

Provides accurate normative information:

Research suggests that presenting age related

research suggests that teachers of health

THE HARM MINIMISATION APPROACH USED BY SHAHRP

Endorse or encourage alcohol use.

Condemn alcohol use.

Assume that all students are drinkers.