A new campaign - why let drink decide?

15 January 2010

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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.

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