Cutting teen binge drinking

21 November 2006

Alcohol abuse, anxiety and depression are amongst the health issues affecting young people being tackled by a new web-based classroom education tool.

ClimateSchools has been developed by researchers and practitioners from UNSW and the Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression (CRUfAD) at St Vincent’s Hospital.

The first two courses of ClimateSchools, alcohol education and beating stress, are now available for use in the 2007 curriculum for Year 8 students.

The two courses have already been found to be highly successful in trials undertaken in high schools. Decreased binge drinking and improved attitudes to alcohol were among the benefits experienced by students from 16 schools taking part in the alcohol education course.

Students from 10 schools reported decreased psychological distress and improved active coping skills as a result of using the beating stress course.

ClimateSchools uses cartoons developed as a result of focus groups with young people, teachers and counsellors. The content is based on the health and personal development curriculum of most Australasian high schools.

The ‘Teacher’s Club’ is the administration centre of the program, providing information about how to use ClimateSchools, details of each course, news, professional development and other teaching resources. A discussion board allows for sharing of experiences.

Further courses are being developed to address relationships, mental disorders and drug use.

The web-based lessons are available at the nominal charge of $1 per student.

The first lesson of each course, alcohol education and beating stress, can be viewed at: http://www.climateschools.tv/

The initiative is supported by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, the School of Education and the School of Psychiatry at UNSW.