Drugs and Alcohol Awareness

Drugs and Alcohol Awareness Overview

Build essential awareness of drugs, alcohol, addiction, workplace substance misuse and recovery support with the Drugs and Alcohol Awareness course. This online drugs and alcohol awareness course is designed to help learners understand the impact of substance misuse, including the effects of drugs and alcohol, prevention strategies, workplace responsibilities, organisational policies, treatment awareness, recovery support and relevant laws and acts related to drugs.

Whether you are working in care, education, health and social care, workplace supervision, HR, safeguarding, community support or personal development, this Drugs and Alcohol Awareness course provides a structured introduction to key issues surrounding drug and alcohol misuse in personal, professional and workplace settings.

The course covers important topics such as introduction to drugs and alcohol addiction, overview of drugs, overview of alcohol, prevention and awareness, drugs and alcohol abuse at work, workplace drug and alcohol policy, treatment of drugs and alcohol addiction, recovery and post-treatment care, laws and acts on drugs, and moving beyond addiction.

Throughout the course, you will learn how to:

• Understand the foundations of drugs and alcohol awareness
• Recognise the impact of drug and alcohol misuse on individuals and communities
• Develop awareness of addiction and dependency-related issues
• Understand prevention and awareness strategies
• Recognise the effects of substance misuse in the workplace
• Explore the importance of workplace drug and alcohol policies
• Develop awareness of treatment and support options
• Understand recovery and post-treatment care at an introductory level
• Build awareness of laws and acts related to drugs
• Understand the importance of moving beyond addiction through support and recovery-focused approaches
• Build foundational knowledge for care, safeguarding, HR, workplace wellbeing and community support pathways

This Drugs and Alcohol Awareness course is suitable for beginners, care workers, support workers, HR learners, managers, safeguarding learners, workplace supervisors, health and social care learners, teachers, youth support learners and anyone interested in understanding substance misuse awareness and prevention.

• › Last Audited and Updated: 28th July 2026

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the Drugs and Alcohol Awareness course, learners will be able to:

• Understand the basic concepts of drug and alcohol addiction.
• Recognise different issues linked to drug and alcohol misuse.
• Explain the importance of prevention and awareness.
• Understand how substance misuse can affect individuals, families, workplaces and communities.
• Recognise the impact of drugs and alcohol misuse in workplace settings.
• Understand the purpose of workplace drug and alcohol policies.
• Develop awareness of treatment approaches and support services.
• Understand the importance of recovery and post-treatment care.
• Recognise key legal considerations related to drugs.
• Build awareness of recovery-focused thinking and moving beyond addiction.
• Develop foundational knowledge for further study or support-based roles in care, wellbeing, safeguarding and workplace support.

Who is This Course For

This Drugs and Alcohol Awareness course is ideal for:

• Care workers and support workers
• Health and social care learners
• HR assistants and HR learners
• Workplace supervisors and managers
• Safeguarding learners
• Teachers and education support staff
• Youth support workers
• Family support workers
• Community support learners
• Anyone interested in drug and alcohol awareness, prevention and recovery support

This course is suitable for learners who want to gain beginner-friendly awareness before progressing into:

• Substance misuse support
• Health and social care support
• Workplace wellbeing
• HR and policy awareness
• Safeguarding support
• Community support work
• Youth support pathways
• Further addiction awareness or recovery-support training

Why Enrol in This Drugs and Alcohol Awareness Course?

This course is designed to help learners build a strong foundation in substance misuse awareness, prevention, workplace responsibility and recovery support.

Benefits of this course include:

• CPD Accredited Drugs and Alcohol Awareness Training
• 100% Online and Self-Paced Learning
• Covers Drug and Alcohol Addiction Awareness
• Includes Overview of Drugs and Alcohol
• Covers Prevention and Awareness Strategies
• Includes Drugs and Alcohol Misuse at Work
• Covers Workplace Drug and Alcohol Policy Awareness
• Includes Treatment, Recovery and Post-Treatment Care Awareness
• Covers Laws and Acts Related to Drugs
• Useful for Care, HR, Safeguarding, Workplace Wellbeing and Community Support Pathways

Career Opportunities

Completing the Drugs and Alcohol Awareness course can support learners who want to explore opportunities in substance misuse support, care, health promotion, workplace wellbeing, safeguarding, community support and social care. The knowledge gained from this course can help learners understand prevention, addiction awareness, workplace policy, recovery support and safer support practices.

Potential career opportunities include:

• Substance Misuse Outreach Worker Pathway Learner

Use this course as a foundation before progressing into practical training, supervised experience and substance misuse support roles.

Average salary: £24,000 to £37,000 for substance misuse outreach workers.

• Recovery Support Worker Pathway Learner

Support people in recovery-focused environments after gaining suitable training, supervision and workplace experience.

Average salary: Varies depending on employer, setting, experience and responsibilities.

• Health Promotion Assistant

Support awareness campaigns, wellbeing education and prevention-focused activities in community or workplace settings.

Average salary: £25,000 to £35,000 for health promotion specialist roles.

• Care Worker

Support vulnerable people with daily activities, wellbeing, communication and access to appropriate services.

Average salary: £20,000 to £25,000.

• Residential Support Worker

Support the physical and mental wellbeing of children or vulnerable adults in care settings.

Average salary: £22,000 to £30,000.

• Family Support Worker

Support families with practical guidance, wellbeing awareness, access to services and community-based support.

Average salary: £24,000 to £36,000

• HR Wellbeing Assistant

Support workplace wellbeing activities, policy awareness, employee guidance resources and health-related staff campaigns.

Average salary: £22,000 to £30,000

• Safeguarding Support Assistant

Support safeguarding-related administration, awareness activities, reporting processes and communication with appropriate professionals.

Average salary: £21,000 to £30,000

• Social Worker Pathway Learner

Use this course as a foundation before progressing into recognised social work study, supervised practice and professional registration.

Average salary: £32,000 to £48,000 for qualified social workers.

Please note: This course provides foundation-level drugs and alcohol awareness. It does not qualify learners as addiction counsellors, clinical practitioners, social workers or substance misuse specialists. Professional substance misuse, counselling, healthcare or social work roles may require recognised qualifications, supervised experience, safeguarding knowledge, DBS checks and employer-specific requirements.Learners should always refer people with substance misuse concerns to qualified professionals and appropriate support services.

Assessment Method

The Drugs and Alcohol Awareness course is assessed through an online assessment process.

After completing the course modules, learners may be required to complete:

• A multiple-choice assessment
• An online test
• Knowledge-based questions related to the course topics

The assessment helps learners review key areas such as:

• Introduction to drugs and alcohol addiction
• Overview of drugs
• Overview of alcohol
• Prevention and awareness
• Drugs and alcohol misuse at work
• Workplace drug and alcohol policies
• Treatment awareness
• Recovery and post-treatment care
• Laws and acts on drugs
• Moving beyond addiction

Learners can complete the assessment online at their own pace, making the process flexible and convenient.

Eligibility Requirements

This Drugs and Alcohol Awareness course is open to learners from different academic and professional backgrounds.

No previous healthcare, counselling or substance misuse support experience is required.

This course is suitable for learners who want to:

• Develop introductory drug and alcohol awareness
• Understand addiction and prevention basics
• Learn about workplace substance misuse awareness
• Build knowledge of drug and alcohol policies
• Understand treatment and recovery support at an introductory level
• Prepare for further health, care, HR or safeguarding training
• Improve confidence in recognising and responding to substance misuse concerns appropriately

Entry Requirements

• Age Requirement: Learners should be aged 16 or above.
• Academic Background: No formal academic qualification is required.
• Awareness Interest: An interest in drugs and alcohol awareness, prevention, wellbeing or safeguarding is recommended.
• Care or Workplace Interest: An interest in care, HR, workplace wellbeing, community support or social care is helpful.
• Communication Skills: Basic communication skills are useful for understanding support-based topics.
• Language Proficiency: A good understanding of English is helpful for following the course materials.
• Device Requirement: Learners will need access to a smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer with an internet connection.
• Study Commitment: Learners should be prepared to complete the online lessons and assessment independently.
• Professional Awareness: Learners should understand that clinical addiction support, counselling and substance misuse roles require further training, supervised practice and professional boundaries.

Why Choose Us

• Affordable, engaging and high-quality online learning materials
• Beginner-friendly drugs and alcohol awareness course content
• Practical knowledge for prevention, workplace awareness and recovery support
• Flexible study through a user-friendly online platform
• Access course materials from mobile, tablet or desktop
• Self-paced learning suitable for busy learners
• Efficient online assessment process
• CPD accredited certificate included
• Career development and further study opportunities
• Helpful student support via email