Put the dangers of methanol poisoning on the school curriculum

Young people are dying needlessly of methanol poisoning, most recently in Laos, Turkey and Vietnam.

We think that children should be taught the dangers of consuming bootleg alcohol as part of the PSHE and/or Biology curriculum in school.

The statutory guidance for Health Education requires all pupils in state-maintained schools to be taught the facts about legal and illegal harmful substances and the associated risks to physical and mental wellbeing, including smoking, alcohol use and drug-taking. Pupils should be taught that there are some legal substances that people sometimes misuse and that any substance used for purposes other than those intended can be dangerous and could even cause death.

This complements content about substances within the national curriculum for science.

In 2020, the Department published resources for schools, including a teacher training module on drugs, alcohol and tobacco, as part of a wider suite of teacher training materials: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-training-drugs-alcohol-and-tobacco.

In addition, we have worked with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and the PSHE Association to make sure good quality teaching resources are available for teachers delivering drug, alcohol and tobacco education. Lesson plans on drugs, alcohol and tobacco are available on the PSHE Association’s website: https://www.pshe-association.org.uk/curriculum-and-resources/resources/drug-and-alcohol-education-%E2%80%94-lesson-plans.

Schools have the freedom to ensure the curriculum meets the needs of their pupils. This flexibility will allow schools to respond to local public health and wider community issues, including current global issues presented on the news, and adapt material and programmes to suit the needs of pupils.

The RSHE statutory guidance is currently under review. The department is looking carefully at responses to the public the consultation conducted last year, considering the relevant evidence and discussing with stakeholders before setting out next steps to make sure the guidance draws from the best available evidence. As part of this process, the department will explore whether additional content is required.

Department for Education