Webwatch – Talking to under 18s

Nearly one in ten young people between the ages of 16 and 17 drink at least once a week due to boredom, according to a YouGov poll commissioned in July 2009, by the alcohol charity, Drinkaware. The poll questioned 1,071 teenagers, the results of which also revealed that a third of 16-17 year olds would prefer to get the facts about alcohol from their parents.

To help improve professional practice and make parents aware of the issues surrounding young people and alcohol use, Drinkaware has produced an information-rich, online resource entitled Talking to under 18s, which provides a link to two separate resources  – one for professionals and one for parents.

The resource for professionals includes guides on how to develop successful workshops; factsheets on alcohol related subjects relevant to young people; key research on alcohol and young people; games and activities that can be used in workshops with young people; details on Drinkaware’s youth strategy; examples of projects working with under 18s; useful contacts and websites; and vox pop interviews with young people.

The section dedicated to parents provides government advice; advice on how to broach the subject of alcohol use with a young person and how to engage in an initial conversation with them; the dangers of underage drinking; the laws on children in pubs and drinking alcohol at home; advice on keeping young people safe if they are already drinking; and vox pop interviews with parents.

Thought has been given to making the information in both resources easy to access and navigate. Each section is clearly signposted using thumbnail images, and a brief summary of its content. The resource is the equivalent of a traditional information pack tailored for an online environment, with the obvious benefits of having live links to videos, other online resources and useful websites.

Visit the resource: http://www.drinkaware.co.uk/talking-to-under-18s