By Alice Rose Reid

Introduction: A History of Drug Use and Prohibition

Drug taking has been a prominent and permanent feature of human experience as far back in history as is recorded. From prehistoric use of psychoactive plants to ritual, medicinal, and recreational use in ancient civilisations, a constant in human societies is that people take drugs – what has not been constant, is our approaches to this. Whilst policies of prohibition and the Western ‘war on drugs’ have proven utterly ineffective, an alternative motion involves aiming to reduce the harms associated with modern-day drug taking.

The failures of prohibition and the benefits of a harm reduction approach have been widely documented and researched, so I won’t go into great depth in this article. Instead, I am going to talk about a harm reduction opportunity I fear is currently being overlooked and missed within our communities – that is the conversation around safe drug use in schools/colleges.

The Silence in Schools: A Missed Opportunity for Harm Reduction

I have been working in a 16-19 sixth-form and teaching sociology now for a number of years. One thing stands out as paramount – the increase in drug use amongst my students. Whether it’s regular marijuana use, ketamine use on the weekends or party drugs like cocaine and ecstasy at festivals, a large amount of my students are more than dabbling – and this will likely intensify as they move to the next stages of young adulthood.

Statistics show 16.5% of 16–24 year olds in England and Wales reported using any drug in the past year (2025), equating to about 971,000 young people. Drug use is highest among those aged 16 to 24 (16.5%) compared to older age groups (7.2% of 25-59s) with the most common reason (52%) given by pupils for their first experience with drugs being “to see what it was like” (Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Despite this, there is a deeply ingrained culture of silence on the issue within educational settings. Teachers are prohibited from broaching the discussion from anything other than a prohibition stance. A drug prevention discourse is rife, with remnants of the ubiquitous ‘just say no’ strategy of the 80s and 90s still causing havoc. However, given what the data tells us about drug use and initiation within this age group, is drug prevention a realistic approach? If drug taking amongst young people is already happening and only increasing, is denial and silence really the best way to keep young people safe? I posit that this culture of silence is wasting a unique opportunity to prevent future harms. By utilising this pivotal time in adolescence/young adulthood to embed harm reduction strategies, we can protect the children of tomorrow from the damages of prohibition.

Lessons from Section 28: The Dangers of Silence

This is not the first time we have seen silence around a topic that the education system is well placed to discuss. Section 28 was a contentious piece of legislation introduced in the Local Government Act of 1988. The clause stated any local authority/school should not ‘intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality’. The bill’s main intention was ‘protecting’ children from the ‘promotion’ of homosexuality within schools; a circular from the DfE in September 1987 stated sex education should be carried out encouraging the “benefits of stable married and family life and the responsibilities of parenthood”, alongside asserting “there is no place in any school in any circumstances for teaching which advocates homosexual behaviour, which presents it as the “norm” or which encourages homosexual experimentation by pupils” (Department for Education, 1987) . We can see here it is this idea of the ‘promotion’ of homosexuality that is deeply problematic and complex. Whilst Section 28 was quietly repealed in 2003, the impacts rippled, leaving a legacy of caution, self-surveillance and self-censorship amongst teachers.

We can draw some similarities between fears of the “promotion of homosexuality” to the topic of drug education within schools. Of course, the two matters at the heart are different entirely, but intentions of ‘protecting’ children and shielding from a behaviour deemed illicit and harmful to social order rings true with both. In both cases, educators face the same dilemma: the fear that any discussion – whether about safe drug use or LGBTQ+ identities – could be misconstrued as “promotion” or encouragement. This is enough to keep teachers silent on the matter altogether and leave young people without the information they need to make safer choices. Silence does not lead to protection. It failed to protect the young people under Section 28, and it is failing to protect them now.

The Failure of Prohibition and Abstinence-Only Education

There have been many educational strategies with prohibition at the core – possibly the most notable being the ‘Just Say No’ campaign of the 1980s/1990s. This slogan, coined by Nancy Reagan during a trip to an elementary school in 1984, shaped the narrative on drug education in both the USA and UK for decades to come. A message laced with fear and stigma, it promoted resistance to peer pressure and complete abstinence from drugs.

Whilst this slogan was dropped in the 90s, the sentiment remains. Current Relationships, Sex and Health education guidance from the government seeks only to set out the following:

“The facts about which drugs are illegal, the risks of taking illegal drugs, including the increased risk of potent synthetic drugs being added to illegal drugs, the risks of illicit vapes containing drugs, illicit drugs and counterfeit medicines, and the potential health harms, including the link to poor mental health. 2. The law relating to the supply and possession of illegal substances.” (Department for Education, 2025)

Education around personal safety is confined just to the discussion of alcohol consumption. Again, we can see a subtle message of abstinence dominating still.

Education on drugs and alcohol is currently delivered by teachers themselves (often not PSHE specialists) who are drawing upon their own knowledge alongside resources from PSHE Association (81%), the government-funded FRANK website (67%), the Department of Education (DfE) Relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education curriculum guidance (56%) and Google and other search engines (50%) (NHS England Digital, 2023). Teachers need training, clear guidelines, and institutional backing to shift from prohibition to harm reduction without fear of repercussions.

From the ‘just say no’ mantra to the drug prevention narrative of today, two things are clear:

  1. There is no effective harm reduction strategy in place currently within education settings. A discourse of drug prevention is where the discussion begins and ends.
  2. Drug taking amongst teenagers and young adults has not decreased.

Prohibition campaigns have instilled fear amongst teachers to speak out about this topic – yet I argue this needs to change. Teachers are in a prime position to adopt a new approach, and this is our best chance at reducing drug related dangers.

A New Approach: Harm Reduction in Education

I’m not a policy maker and I don’t have all the answers – but I have worked in 16-19 education now for over 5 years, and have some experience that gives me an insight to what effective harm reduction may look like.

  1. Workshops run by external agencies offering impartial advice. Services such as The Loop are perfectly placed to offer this. These sessions are not “how-to” guides for drug use. Instead, their purpose is to ensure young people are fully aware of the risks whilst also offering realistic, practical advice on how to reduce harm if they choose to use substances. This approach meets young people where they are, rather than ignoring the realities of their experiences.
  2. Free amnesty drug testing services. Whilst it’s not realistic that schools offer these services themselves, partnering with organisations like The Loop or Wedinos is a great way to encourage young people to know exactly what they’re taking in order to avoid harm. Having these services visible, offered and advised within educational settings along with a partnership to establish free drug testing services for young people who request it will ensure adequate care is provided.
  3. Shifting the narrative on the topic of drugs. A non-judgemental approach is essential in ensuring open and honest conversations, which then paves the way for more targeted harm prevention actions to be employed if necessary. Critics may claim harm reduction normalises drug use, but the evidence shows the opposite: it reduces risks, saves lives, and fosters honest conversations that abstinence-only approaches cannot.
  4. Harnessing a multi-disciplinary approach. By working with other harm reduction, health and social care services to ensure a holistic approach is taken in ensuring that where drug use may be happening, it is not significantly impacting the life of the young person or people around them. This approach recognises that yes, serious harms can come from drug use, and it does not mean to minimise this fact. Instead, it recognises that stigma, ridicule, and prohibition are not effective solutions. The most constructive way to address drug-related harm is through evidence-based support, education, and accessible services.

Conclusion: Breaking the Silence, Saving Lives

The silence around drug education in schools is not neutral—it is harmful. Just as Section 28’s silence failed to protect LGBTQ+ youth, the current silence around drug use is failing young people today. The evidence is clear: prohibition and abstinence-only messages do not work. Drug use among young people is not decreasing; it is evolving, and our approach to education must evolve with it.

Teachers, policymakers, and communities must recognise that silence is not a strategy. It is time to shift the narrative from fear to education. This isn’t about condoning or promoting drug use amongst teenagers. This is about ensuring that when it does occur, young people are informed, prepared, and protected. By embracing harm reduction, we can break the cycle of silence, reduce stigma, and ultimately save lives.

It is important to remember, that what’s happening in further education and to our young people is simply a product of the political landscape we are living in. Nothing can change if the laws do not change. We are in desperate need of drug policy reform now more than ever, not just for young people or other vulnerable groups in society, but for everyone.

Works Cited

Department for Education. “Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education guidance.” GOV.UK, Department for Education, 25 June 2019,

Office for National Statistics (ONS). “Drug misuse in England and Wales: year ending March 2025.” Drug misuse in England and Wales – Office for National Statistics, Office for National Statistics (ONS), 11 December 2025,

“Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People in England, 2023 – NHS England Digital.” NHS Digital, ONS, 17 October 2024,