This study of around 4,000 students aged between 12 and 14 revealed that those who had received the facts about alcohol and its effects during Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) lessons at school, equipping them to make informed decisions, were significantly less likely to start drinking compared to those that had not received the lessons using Talk about Alcohol resources

Contents:
Executive summary
1 Introduction and background 1
• Background and policy context 1
• 1.2 Talk About Alcohol materials 2
• 1.3 A rigorous and independent evaluation 4
• 1.4 The sample 6
• 1.5 The survey 8
• 1.6 Analysis 8
• 1.7 Structure of the report 9
2 The context of drinking behaviour 10
• 2.1 Reasons for drinking 13
3 Experiences of drinking and staying safe around alcohol 16
4 Impact on knowledge of alcohol and its effects 20
5 Impact on onset of drinking 25
6 Impact on frequency of drinking and being drunk and binge drinking 29
• 6.1 Impact on frequency of drinking 29
• 6.2 Impact on being drunk or binge drinking 33
7 Sources of helpful information on alcohol 35
8 Conclusions and implications 38
• 8.1 Conclusions 38
• 8.2 Messages from the evaluation 39
References 42
Appendix A Sample information 44
Appendix B Descriptive frequency data 46
Appendix C Analysis and technical detail 101
Appendix D Teacher feedback 109