This British PSA about sexual consent is surprisingly effective

The Thames Valley Police in England came up with a very British way to tackle the subject of sexual consent this week, with a video that explores the issue through the metaphor of making someone a cup of tea:

The video runs through a whole bunch of scenarios, including where someone has said yes to a “cup of tea” and then changed their mind, or isn’t sure anymore, or has passed out.

“And if they are unconscious don’t make them tea,” runs the voiceover. “Unconscious people don’t want tea and they can’t answer the question ‘do you want tea?’ Because they are unconscious.” the narrator says. “OK, maybe they were conscious when you asked them if they wanted tea, and they said ‘yes’. But in the time it took you to boil the kettle, brew the tea and add the milk they are now unconscious…Don’t make them drink the tea. They said ‘yes’ then, sure, but unconscious people don’t want tea.”

The video was produced by the Thames Valley Police and the local Sexual Violence Prevention Group.

“If you can understand how completely ludicrous it is to force people to have tea when they don’t want tea, and you are able to understand when people don’t want tea, then how hard is it to understand when it comes to sex? Whether it’s tea or sex, consent is everything,” the video ends.

Whether or not it works remains to be seen but it is getting some positive response online:

THIS video. Watch .@ThamesVP video on how consent is really just like tea. https://t.co/9JwH4wB2M0 #ConsentisEverything #fairplay

— Miriam (@mimi_taber) October 30, 2015

#ConsentisEverything #genius https://t.co/9OuPYiwAOM

— Natasha Foster (@Natasha__Foster) October 30, 2015

https://twitter.com/SarahSalts/status/660068946784165888