TV add still
Over 58,000 people see comedians highlight how alcohol can make young people vulnerable to dangerous risks
Children's Secretary Ed Balls will today join forces with comedian Bill Bailey to launch a new national advertising campaign to raise awareness of how alcohol can make young people vulnerable to problems such as unwanted pregnancies, road traffic accidents and poor marks at school.
The advertisements ask young people and their parents 'why let drink decide?' and aims to help parents work with their children to establish a safe and sensible relationship with alcohol.
The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) 'why let drink decide?' campaign is launched ahead of the Families & Relationships Green Paper to be published later this month. The forthcoming Green Paper will explore new and innovative ways to provide independent help and support on positive parenting with teenagers, as well as information about handling the kinds of issues parents often worry about the most, like teenage drinking.
To kick-start the 'why let drink decide?' campaign, Bill Bailey, Jo Brand, Josie Long and Russell Kane gave their support to an online campaign which has since been viewed by over 58,000 people.
Children's Secretary Ed Balls said:
"This campaign is the start of offering clear and consistent advice for families, by building on the recent findings of the Chief Medical Officer which were widely supported by parents and young people.
"We want to encourage families to have open and frank discussions about the risks associated with drinking earlier, and to support this by giving parents the advice and information they have asked for. This is about making sure we put young people in charge of their future - not alcohol
"We know that parents can have an enormous influence on their child's behaviour - often far more than they realise. We will soon be publishing the Families and Relationships Green Paper and in this we aim to support parents by arming them with independent advice and information to help them have a positive relationship with their child. And at the same time we will respect that parents and families are a private business one that Government should not interfere in unless a risk to a child or person is evident.
"I am grateful to Bill Bailey, Jo Brand, Josie Long and Russell Kane for lending their support to this campaign. With their videos over 58,000 people have seen the serious consequences of underage drinking."
Research shows that 80 per cent of young people who felt their parents would disapprove of them drinking had never drunk alcohol. However statistics also show that many parents do not speak to their children about alcohol until their child gets drunk for the first time. The campaign aims to get parents talking to their children about alcohol earlier, to help the family work together to build a safe and sensible relationship with alcohol.
The TV and radio advertisements will be supported by leaflets to be distributed in GPs surgeries and a new website for parents where they can get tips and advice on how best to advise and support their child about the dangers associated with alcohol.
Additional activity with social networking sites and cinema advertisements aim to give young people the confidence and advice to effectively manage their own relationship with alcohol. With the right advice and support the Government hopes to delay the age at which young people first start drinking, and reduce the amount that is drunk once they do start.
Speaking ahead of the launch, Bill Bailey said:
"Comedy is a great way to get information across and if people are laughing and enjoying it, you can slip messages or something more serious in under the radar and I think it has more of an impact.
"For this campaign, we filmed a scene as if I'm performing in a club. When you watch it you think that you're in one scenario, then it pulls back to reveal something else. I like the way it plays with your perception.
"Parents tend to be hung-up on the other problems that kids can get into like unprotected sex or drugs. Alcohol tends to be put on the back burner a bit but the reality is that these problems are more than likely to be fuelled by alcohol anyway.
"The main message is to get parents to engage with their children more and talk to them on a regular basis about alcohol."
The launch follows research which shows that 40 per cent of the 13 year olds and 58 per cent of the 15 year olds who have drunk alcohol had experienced negative consequences, including having an argument or fight; visiting an A&E department, being admitted to hospital overnight or having an injury. Results from a survey published in December 2009 showed parents often fail to make the link between alcohol and risky behaviours.
The campaign responds to one of the Chief Medical Officer's recommendations from his final guidance on alcohol and young people, published in December 2009. The guidance gives five clear recommendations about alcohol and young people, including that the importance of a parent's influence on their child's alcohol use should be better communicated to parents and carers with coherent advice aimed specifically at parents.
Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, the Chief Medical Officer for England said:
"We know there is a real problem with young people and alcohol in this country. Across England, half a million children between the ages of 11 and 15 will have been drunk in the past four weeks.
"The guidance I produced in December informs and underpins this new campaign, which will help parents and young people to lay the foundations to a healthier attitude towards alcohol.
"This campaign will give parents and carers the information and support to engage with children on this important health issue, helping them grow up to be responsible drinkers."
Over 58,000 people see comedians highlight how alcohol can make young people vulnerable to dangerous risks
Children's Secretary Ed Balls will today join forces with comedian Bill Bailey to launch a new national advertising campaign to raise awareness of how alcohol can make young people vulnerable to problems such as unwanted pregnancies, road traffic accidents and poor marks at school.
The advertisements ask young people and their parents 'why let drink decide?' and aims to help parents work with their children to establish a safe and sensible relationship with alcohol.
The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) 'why let drink decide?' campaign is launched ahead of the Families & Relationships Green Paper to be published later this month. The forthcoming Green Paper will explore new and innovative ways to provide independent help and support on positive parenting with teenagers, as well as information about handling the kinds of issues parents often worry about the most, like teenage drinking.
To kick-start the 'why let drink decide?' campaign, Bill Bailey, Jo Brand, Josie Long and Russell Kane gave their support to an online campaign which has since been viewed by over 58,000 people.
Children's Secretary Ed Balls said:
"This campaign is the start of offering clear and consistent advice for families, by building on the recent findings of the Chief Medical Officer which were widely supported by parents and young people.
"We want to encourage families to have open and frank discussions about the risks associated with drinking earlier, and to support this by giving parents the advice and information they have asked for. This is about making sure we put young people in charge of their future - not alcohol
"We know that parents can have an enormous influence on their child's behaviour - often far more than they realise. We will soon be publishing the Families and Relationships Green Paper and in this we aim to support parents by arming them with independent advice and information to help them have a positive relationship with their child. And at the same time we will respect that parents and families are a private business one that Government should not interfere in unless a risk to a child or person is evident.
"I am grateful to Bill Bailey, Jo Brand, Josie Long and Russell Kane for lending their support to this campaign. With their videos over 58,000 people have seen the serious consequences of underage drinking."
Research shows that 80 per cent of young people who felt their parents would disapprove of them drinking had never drunk alcohol. However statistics also show that many parents do not speak to their children about alcohol until their child gets drunk for the first time. The campaign aims to get parents talking to their children about alcohol earlier, to help the family work together to build a safe and sensible relationship with alcohol.
The TV and radio advertisements will be supported by leaflets to be distributed in GPs surgeries and a new website for parents where they can get tips and advice on how best to advise and support their child about the dangers associated with alcohol.
Additional activity with social networking sites and cinema advertisements aim to give young people the confidence and advice to effectively manage their own relationship with alcohol. With the right advice and support the Government hopes to delay the age at which young people first start drinking, and reduce the amount that is drunk once they do start.
Tagged in Parenting