Kids' anti-drink project in line to win national award

Glasgow is leading the way in the battle to deter youngsters from binge drinking.

A small-scale voluntary project that educates primary school children about safe alcohol use has been nominated for a national award.

The Greater Easterhouse Alcohol Awareness Project has reached around 1000 young people in the east end and is Scotland's most extensive alcohol programme for primary schools.

Children aged 10 to 12 are encouraged to explore their feelings about alcohol through art work, discussions and role play during the intensive four-week programme, run by full-time project staff who go into the classroom.

Evidence shows that, in the transition between primary and secondary school, the proportion of children using alcohol rises from one in 10 to one in four.

Ann Kearney, Project Worker, said: "Children today are extremely streetwise.

"Quite a lot of the kids have experience of alcohol. Most have tasted it but around 80% of the responses we get are negative. The pictures they draw show gang violence, people lying on the streets.

"It is very important to get them at an early age. By the time they get to high school it's too late.

"We have dealt with youngsters in first year where it is very evident alcohol use has become a serious problem.

"We are not going in there telling them not to drink alcohol because it's been proved that this doesn't work.

"We are giving them the information in the hope they will make sensible choices."

A recent study showed Scots children as young as 14 were among those treated for alcoholic liver disease, which is normally seen much later in life.

Around 46 children of that age were admitted to hospital dangerously drunk in 2004-2005 with another 152 aged under 18 were admitted for the same reason.

The Glasgow project also holds information sessions for parents but Ann says the response so far has been lukewarm.

She said: "For some parents it might be too close to home to talk about, but we're hoping to attract more."

The project has been so successful there are plans to roll it out across the whole of the city and staff also hope to set up school advice centres, where pupils can get advice on alcohol-related issues.

It is the only Scottish scheme to be nominated in the Mentor UK Alcohol Misuse Prevention Awards Schemes.

Eric Carlin, Chief Executive of Mentor UK, said: "Alcohol misuse can be incredibly damaging to young lives, and the Great Easterhouse Alcohol Awareness Project is doing vital work to help young people make sensible choices."

Evening Times