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Drugs including alcohol: Awareness & brief interventions

Build knowledge and develop confidence in responding with people who use alcohol and other drugs, and learn effective advice and information approaches to deliver a brief intervention and reduce harm.

One day. For your team. Delivered in-person.

Drugs including alcohol: Awareness & brief interventions

 

Course overview:

Build understanding of why people use alcohol and other drugs and develop knowledge and confidence in responding effectively. Consider the effects of alcohol on the brain and body, using evidence-based tools and techniques to assess risk and deliver a brief intervention. Explore possible effects and risks of 5 of the most common other drugs, and learn effective strategies, advice and information approaches to reduce harm.

 

Aim(s):

To build knowledge and develop confidence in responding effectively when working with people who use alcohol and other drugs.

To raise awareness of types of drugs, the law, possible effects and effective strategies to reduce harm and enable recovery.

To prevent further stigma and create welcoming environments.

 

Objectives:

By the end of the course participants will have had opportunities to:

  • Understand why people may choose to use alcohol and other drugs
  • Understand stigma and how we can avoid it
  • Learn to deliver a brief intervention around alcohol use using evidence-based tools and techniques
  • Understand the effects and risks of commonly used substances
  • Learn to deliver harm reduction advice and information to people who use drugs
  • Understand the difference between drug groups, the different ways drugs can be taken and how harms can be reduced

 

Maximum group size: 16

 

In-person training – we ask you to provide a suitable venue and refreshments.

Enquire or book in a meeting with us

Your trainer(s)

Becky Risley

Becky has over 10 years of experience working with people who use drugs including alcohol and has developed a special interest in reducing the harms associated with substance use amongst young adults. 

 

This interest has enabled her to spend time volunteering for The Loop at their festival drug checking facility and now works as Specialist Drug and Alcohol Practitioner for University West of England, delivering a pioneering service as well as leading on campaigns for students who use drugs including alcohol.

 

For over 6 years Becky has delivered drug and alcohol awareness training in a variety of setting to range of audiences.

Ben Howie

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What people say

"Learning about the different substances/drugs that people use, the effects and harm reduction advice. I will certainly use the slides to refer back to when helping my clients understand the risks and how to use more safely."

Drug & Alcohol Recovery Co-ordinator, Torbay South Devon NHS Recovery Initiatives, November 2025

"Becky's deliverance of the training course was fantastic, her knowledge on all things 'drugs' shown through. What I found particularly useful, was refreshing my existing knowledge relating to drugs and enforcing new learning surrounding Ketamine, a substance which is becoming increasingly more popular with individuals accessing treatment. Becky used a good mix of literature, from theory, evidence-based and visual learning, alongside videos to enhance learning."

Recovery Coordinator/Social Worker, Young Carers Team Leader, Torbay South Devon NHS Recovery Initiatives, October 2025

"Really good training. Going through the different types of drugs and the drug wheel. Becky was really engaging and I liked that she gave us the team research task and then all come back together."

Course participant, April 2025

"Explaining more about the different drugs available to young people, what setting they might use them and the effects/dangers. Nice engaging presenter."

Course participant, April 2025

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