TIP-UK

Welcome

This website provides information to schools, parents/guardians, and young people about The Illicit Project UK and what participation in the programme and related research involves.

Drug use among young people in the UK remains a public health concern. Earlier age of onset of use is linked to greater risk of lifetime harm and dependence. Individual occasions of drug use can cause harm, and this can be affected by where and why drugs are being used.

The Illicit Project UK is an evidence-based approach to drug prevention and education that is currently being tested in local areas in the North West of England and Scotland.

The Illicit Project UK aims to develop young people’s skills so that they can make healthier and safer choices when it comes to drug use. It’s based in science, and evidence of what works, and avoids some of the ineffective approaches of the past that were designed to scare young people.

We are a team of University researchers based at Liverpool John Moores University, University of Liverpool, University of Stirling, University of Sydney, and Queens University, Belfast. The UK government Department of Health and Social Care has awarded us funding through the National Institute of Health and Social Care (NIHR) to undertake research on The Illicit Project UK. We want to find out what benefits it might have, and how we can make sure that schools can deliver it in future if they want to. You can read more about us and the research we’re doing on this site.

Check out all our pages to find out more.