ABSTRACT
Every young person will decide whether to use substances. Many will try them, some will have short-term harms, and a few will develop long-term problems. We know that keeping young people engaged in education is a significant protective factor and that substances can affect attendance and achievement. School-wide approaches can work, but they require staff, students, the school community, and specialist service providers to be on the same page and work together. Decades of fear-mongering and demonising drugs make this a challenging task. It’s no wonder that advice on how to address substance issues and retain student engagement is often conflicting.
Tūturu helps schools to develop a whole-school approach to improve student wellbeing and develop their critical thinking, starting with a focus on alcohol and other drugs. This project involved New Zealand schools and services working together to co-develop clear, evidence-based advice and resources. To ensure these were trustworthy, each had extensive peer review in a process led by the New Zealand Drug Foundation, supported by Odyssey, with oversight from the Ministries of Health and Education, Health Promotion Agency, and New Zealand Police. This chapter describes Tūturu and outlines the four steps to implement this whole-school approach and prepare students for a world where drugs and alcohol exist.
