And Welfare Good health is important for all, but particularly for children and young people. The school curriculum covers a number of health issues and aims to encourage children and young people to take responsibility for their own health and well-being. Most schools will have a designated health co-ordinator.
Parents also have a responsibility for the health and welfare of their children.
Because children and young people are however at risk of becoming involved in drugs, most schools have developed effective drugs education programmes which promote healthy living and encourage young people to develop the knowledge, skills and values to make healthy lifestyle choices. A School Drug Safety Team was set up in October 1998 and in June 2000 published Guidelines for the Management of Drug Incidents in Schools which have been issued to schools to help them develop policies for dealing with drug misuse incidents. The team also considered the effectiveness of drug education in schools, teacher training needs on drug matters, and ways to promote the exchange of best practice and published their final report on 23 January 2001. Ministers have accepted all of the team's recommendations and are now considering how best to take them forward. A Parent's Guide , which is designed to help parents become better informed about drugs, to understand more about what drugs do, and to be in a better position to listen and talk with their child about the subject.