Drugs and Well-Being

Overview

Age Group: KS3 (Year 8) – approximately 12-13 years old
Class Size: 30 students
Duration: 60 minutes
Unit: Feelings and Well-Being (Lesson 2 of 4)
PSHE Association Programme of Study Links:

• Health and Wellbeing: Pupils learn about how to manage influences on health and well-being, including peer influence and developing strategies to resist pressure.
• Relationships: Developing skills to communicate assertively and maintain emotional well-being.
• Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing: Understanding how lifestyle choices can affect mental health.

UK Curriculum Context: This lesson supports the statutory guidance from the Department for Education (PSHE Education, 2021) where drug education, including alcohol, and its impact on health and well-being, is a key aspect of fostering personal development and resilience.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

1. Understand the potential short- and long-term effects of drugs and alcohol on mental health and emotional well-being.
2. Recognise peer pressure and the social influences around substance use.
3. Develop strategies to make healthy choices and confidently resist peer pressure.
4. Reflect on the importance of emotional resilience in maintaining well-being.

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Resources

• Whiteboard/Interactive board
• Scenario role-play cards (pre-prepared)
• Reflection worksheets (print outs for each student)
• Emotion scale posters (to link effects of substances to feelings)
• Timer or stopwatch

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity (10 minutes)

Activity: Emotional Impact Brainstorm

• Display the question: “How do you think drugs and alcohol can affect how we feel?”
• Students work in pairs to brainstorm and write down emotions or feelings that might be linked to substance use (both positive and negative).
• Invite pairs to share one or two ideas; compile on board into two columns: ‘Positive feelings (why people choose to use)’ and ‘Negative feelings (effects on well-being)’.
• Use prompting questions based on the PSHE Association guidance: How might feelings change after using? What about longer-term effects on mood, anxiety, or relationships?

Rationale: This sparks prior knowledge and helps expose misconceptions, setting up for deeper exploration.

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2. Main Teaching Input (15 minutes)

Teacher-led Presentation and Discussion:

• Brief explanation of drugs (including alcohol) and different types (e.g., legal vs illegal, medicinal vs recreational).
• Focus on the impact on mental health – anxiety, depression, confusion, mood swings, addiction. Use simple, age-appropriate scientific explanations.
• Discuss how substances may initially alter emotions but often worsen emotional states over time and impair decision making.
• Introduce the concept of peer pressure – what it looks and feels like, why it happens, and the importance of personal choice.

Visual Aid: Use emotion scale posters to anchor the discussion, e.g., “After drinking alcohol, someone might feel relaxed but later anxious or depressed.”

Curriculum Link: Addresses mental and emotional health, decision-making, and personal responsibility as outlined in the PSHE Association framework.

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3. Role-Playing Scenarios (20 minutes)

Activity: Peer Pressure Role-Play

• Divide class into groups of 5 (6 groups total) to maximise participation while managing time efficiently.
• Give each group a scenario card depicting a situation involving drugs or alcohol pressure from peers (e.g., being offered alcohol at a party, being dared to try cigarettes, feeling left out if you don’t ‘join in’).
• Students assign roles (peer offering, person declining, supporters, etc.) and practise the scenario with an emphasis on assertive communication and refusal skills.
• Encourage creative approaches—using humour, change of subject, suggesting alternative activities, seeking support.
• After each role-play, ask groups to discuss what strategies worked well and how it felt to resist or give in.

Teacher Tip: Circulate and provide positive feedback on assertive language and empathetic peer support.

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4. Reflection and Personal Action Planning (10 minutes)

Task: Individual Reflection Worksheet

• Students complete a short worksheet with prompts such as:
  • What is one new thing I learned about drugs and alcohol today?
  • How might using drugs or alcohol affect my feelings and wellbeing?
  • What would I say if someone offered me drugs or alcohol?
  • What can I do if I feel pressured?
• Encourage honest, thoughtful responses that promote self-awareness and personal resilience.

Extension: Invite a few volunteers to share reflections for whole-class reinforcement.

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5. Plenary (5 minutes)

Activity: Feelings Circle

• Students stand in a circle. Teacher calls out different feelings from the emotion scale (e.g., ‘happy’, ‘nervous’, ‘angry’, ‘confused’).
• Students briefly share or mime times they have felt these emotions, and relate back to how substance use can impact these feelings.
• Close by reinforcing the importance of making healthy choices to support emotional well-being.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Formative assessment through observation of role-play engagement and reflection worksheet answers.
• Teacher notes on understanding of emotional impact and assertiveness demonstrated during activities.
• Informal peer feedback during group work provides insight into verbal communication skills and empathy.

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Differentiation

• Provide simpler language role cards or sentence starters for students with lower literacy or EAL needs.
• Offer extension challenge such as writing an additional role-play scenario or exploring how different cultural attitudes affect perceptions of drugs/alcohol.
• Use visual/emotional scales for students needing support with emotional literacy.

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Homework Suggestion

Invite students to have a brief conversation with a trusted adult (parent, guardian, older sibling) about the impact of drugs and alcohol on feelings and report back one interesting fact or viewpoint to share next lesson.

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Teacher Reflection Notes

• Monitor student engagement and emotional responses; be ready to provide support or refer to wellbeing staff if any distress arises.
• Reflect on the effectiveness of role-plays in developing assertiveness.
• Consider follow-up activities or external speakers for richer student understanding.

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This lesson combines interactive learning, emotional literacy, and real-life skill-building to empower students in making informed, healthy choices for their mental and emotional well-being.