Warwickshire News Mine

As part of Alcohol Awareness Week (18 to 24 October 2010), county council service partners including Warwickshire Drug and Alcohol Action Team and the Young Person’s Substance Misuse Service, are encouraging mums and dads to talk to their children about the impacts of drinking too much.

Kit Leck, Manager of Warwickshire Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT), said: “Excessive alcohol consumption can cause significant problems for young people, so it’s important that they are reminded of the consequences.

“Parents can play a vital role in echoing the warnings of Warwickshire agencies to children about the harmful physical, mental and emotional effects of alcohol.

“Children see their parents as role models, who can set out good examples of behaviour around alcohol such as drinking sensibly themselves.

“We would encourage parents to have regular, informal chats about alcohol so it doesn’t become a taboo subject, and young people feel they can approach their parents with any questions or concerns.”

The Chief Medical Officer’s guidance is a useful starting point for parents when deciding what to tell their children about alcohol.

It suggests that if they choose to drink the healthiest option is to stay alcohol free until they are 18. If they drink sooner, they shouldn’t before they are 15 as it can interfere with development.

More key advice includes ensuring there is a responsible adult present to reduce the risk of harm and reminding young people that if they do drink to restrict frequency to not more than once a week and most importantly to know their limits (3 to 4 units a day for men and 2 to 3 units a day for women).

Consuming more than the recommended daily number of units for adults can cause serious harm to an individual’s physical and mental health, as well as having a negative impact on those around them.

Aside from the health implications, parents tell us that the personal safety of their child when drinking alcohol is also a concern. They may be re-assured to know that advice is available – from getting home safely after a night out to avoiding risky sexual health situations - from the county council at http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/studentsafety.

To push these messages home, Warwickshire County Council is working with NHS Warwickshire, Warwickshire Police, schools and colleges to try to delay the age at which children start to drink and reduce the amount consumed if they are drinking.

Alcohol education has been delivered through a number of programmes including Healthy Schools, the Youth Service, Early Intervention Service and Young Persons Substance Misuse Service.

During Alcohol Awareness Week, information is being made available to parents, teachers and students through the county’s interactive We-Learn platform for schools, offering useful advice and details of the various organisations offering help in Warwickshire.

Cllr Heather Timms, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Children, Young People and Families, said: “Educating young people about the consequences of excessive alcohol consumption shouldn’t end when they have left the classroom.

“Parents can play a persuasive, yet supportive role in their children’s life and with the right support, can help young people make informed choices and more importantly, stay in control.”

For more information regarding Warwickshire’s Drug and Alcohol Action Team or Warwickshire Young Persons Substance Misuse Service, visit http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/studentsafety.

Link to WCC