Guide helps parents teach youngsters about alcohol (From Wirral Globe)

Guide helps parents teach youngsters about alcohol

3:36pm Monday 18th February 2013 in News

WIRRAL parents are to be given a helping hand when talking to their youngsters about alcohol.

The 'Alcohol. Alright?' scheme, which engages young people to talk about alcohol and its effects, has now launched a special guide for mums and dads.

The latest project includes advice for parents and carers on how to steer their children in the right direction and encourage them to know their limits.

The booklet will be available in a range of places in Wirral such as community centres and the A&E department in Arrowe Park Hospital.

As part of the scheme, a new mobile phone app is also being brought in to promote intervention and key messages around alcohol misuse.

The app sees players tasked with guiding their drunk friend along the street and getting them home safely, with points awarded for providing the friend with water and lost if they bump into hazards along the way.

Councillor Tony Smith, cabinet member for children's services and lifelong learning, said: "Alcohol misuse by young people is a concern across our society and the more we can do to educate young people about the risks to them and how they can keep themselves and their friends safer the better.

"We have responded to feedback in providing additional information to parents and carers and hope that this helps them to have sometimes difficult conversations with their children."

The mobile 'app' can be accessed from www.teenwirral.com/drunkfriend/