Alcohol and first aid
Videos, lesson plans and practical activities teaching young people about alcohol and first aid.
- Age: 
- 14-19 
- Subjects: 
- PSHE 
- Topics: 
- First aid and the bystander effect 
- Type: 
- Lesson plan, video 
Looking at the scenario of a house party, learners explore peer pressure, social barriers to helping and the first aid skills to help someone who has drunk too much and is lying unresponsive and breathing.
Learning objectives
Learners will:
- recognise risks associated with drinking too much alcohol
- consider how peer pressure can influence others
- identify social barriers to helping others and how to overcome these
- learn how to help someone who is unresponsive and breathing.
Resource overview
- Lesson 1: Story of a night out (Choose from 30-minute or 50-minute sessions)
Film-based lesson. Invite discussion on how learners would react if the scenario of drinking too much at a house party was presented to them in real life.
First aid lesson supported by an animation. Practical session to practise “the pushover”. Help someone who is unresponsive and breathing by learning how to push them on to their side with their head tilted back.
- Character profiles
Used to support the 50-minute film-based lesson. Hear from Mark, the facilitator of the story, and eight friends who each react in different ways to the events which unfold.
- Teacher notes
Guidance on how to use these resources and background reading.
Video: Lesson 1 – Story of a night out: 30-minute video
Downloads
- Alcohol and First Aid - 20 Minute Practical Lesson Plan (File format: PDF, File size: 724.6 KB)
- Alcohol and First Aid - 30 Minute Lesson Plan (File format: PDF, File size: 680.5 KB)
- Alcohol and First Aid - 50 Minute Lesson Plan (File format: PDF, File size: 747.4 KB)
- Alcohol and First Aid - Character Profiles (File format: PDF, File size: 286.1 KB)
- Alcohol and First Aid - Teacher Notes (File format: PDF, File size: 420.4 KB)
Credits
This resource was written by Helen Brooking and published in 2014.
The photo of two teenagers helping their friend © Jonathan Banks/British Red Cross.
Related resources
- First Aid Champions- A curriculum-linked website (available in Welsh and English) for learning everyday first aid at home and school. Ideal for teachers who want first aid resources all in one place. Suitable for primary and secondary. 
- Talking with young people about a major emergency (secondary)- A resource to help teachers support young people and explore how they and others may feel following news of a major emergency. Suitable for learners aged 11 to 19.