Health education, including drug education, has a secure place in national advice on the 5-14 curriculum. There is also a good range of learning and teaching materials available free of charge to all schools. The quality of drug education in Scottish schools is regularly monitored by HMI, who discuss policy and provision with education authorities. They have published a number of reports in recent years, which, in addition to evaluating provision, have given guidance on good practice in drug education and in managing incidents of drug misuse in schools. The findings of the most recent HMI report Drug and Nutrition Education indicated that there is still room for improvement in the provision of effective drug education for all pupils, in schools having policies for managing incidents of drug misuse and in education authorities working effectively in partnership with other council services.
School work is, of course, one of a wide range of educational influences on young people.
Local authority community education staff and a number of voluntary sector youth organisations routinely engage with young people on issues such as drug and alcohol misuse. They use a number of different approaches such as peer education, mentoring and targeted diversionary activities. HEBS's work in developing health promotion more generally provides a foundation for more specific action on drugs. SHAW is supported by a wide range of organisations and is committed to building a healthy workforce. The aim of the current partnership arrangements between SAD and SHAW is to encourage employers to develop drugs policies as part of their overall commitment to health at work.