Helping Schools Develop Healthy Drug Policies

School policy is the framework that provides students with a safe context in which to grow and learn. But often policies are developed in response to or in anticipation of problems. Policies related to alcohol and other drugs, for example, tend to have a problem focus, with punishments such as suspension and expulsion as the ultimate end. Yet evidence suggests schools are less likely to have drug-related incidents—and students are less likely to suffer harms—when drug policies are integrated into an overall strategy that promotes a positive school ethos and nurtures healthy behavioural choices. Staff and students are better off when drug-related issues are built in to a school community’s conversation on human health, experience and education (just as nutrition and exercise often are). What can schools do to give drugs a more realistic place in policy formation, implementation and evaluation? Embrace the Core Values When building or revising school policies, the following value-based actions provide a useful guide. See policy as a never-ending learning process: it’s not about getting the perfect policy but rather engaging in on-going conversations with the people impacted by the ideas and decisions involved. Reflect on issues with curiosity: understanding and addressing any human issue involves listening, asking questions and using evidence in a dynamic, open-minded, sincerely positive way