You booze, you lose, advisers talk to young people (From Thisisdorset)
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You booze, you lose, advisers talk to young people
7:30pm Wednesday 12th September 2012 in Latest By Echo Reporter
MAKING A POINT: An adviser talks to a youngster
YOUNG people in west Dorset are being helped to make responsible choices about alcohol.
The Alcohol Education Trust (AET) is dedicated to encouraging parents and children to make the right decisions by working with their schools.
The Do it for Dorset campaign is hoping to raise awareness and encourage donations to smaller local charities.
Helena Conibear, director of the Alcohol Education Trust, said: “School is the one place we can ensure that every child has access to life skill approaches which with a combination of information, role play, and film clips can equip them to make responsible choices as they get older.
“Just a little money goes a long way with our charity as so many people volunteer their work.”
The average age a child has their first alcoholic drink is 12 and a half, the charity says.
The AET, which is based in Frampton, aims to raise awareness about drinking and to reduce levels of drunkenness and binge drinking once young people are drinking.
It ensures that life skill-based lesson plans, worksheets, film clips, interactive games, quizzes, facts and figures and resources are available free of charge for all secondary schools across Dorset.
Alcohol education forms part of PSHE lessons.
The cause also provides the opportunity to host a ‘talk about alcohol’ relaxed seminar in school for parents to talk about their concerns.
The charity backs Operation Blitz, run by Dorset Police, in secondary schools with leaflets for the kids and parents on alcohol.
Ms Conibear added: “Over time, we hope to help raise the age at which young people start drinking, to reduce the prevalence of drinking to get drunk and to encourage self-reliance, confidence and self-respect.”
Their resources are also currently being evaluated over three years in 30 schools.
The trustees of the charity are all teachers and include Gordon Redley, former headteacher of Dorchester Middle School.
The trust’s interactive website talkaboutalcohol.com hosts dedicated areas for teenagers and their parents.
Visit localgiving.com/charity/ alcoholeducationtrust
