Hull MP wants drug & alcohol awareness taught in school

The Labour MP for Hull North Diana Johnson is calling for relationship, drug and alcohol education to form part of the national curriculum to help young people deal with the pressures of modern living.

Ms Johnson told MPs in the Commons that school education needed to be "much more" than just teaching academic subjects, and it had a "powerful role" to play in equipping teenagers to deal with the "complexities" of today's world.

The MP for Kingston upon Hull North said her proposed Bill would ensure that all children throughout their education had access to "good quality, age appropriate" education on relationships, drugs and alcohol, and make sure it was no longer treated as a "trivial subject or an add-on".

Ms Johnson's Relationship, Drug and Alcohol Education (Curriculum) Bill was given an unopposed first reading and listed for a second reading on Friday, November 9, but is unlikely to become law due to a lack of Parliamentary time.