Balance supports DCSF campaign in the North East
Balance, the North East Alcohol Office, will be encouraging parents across the region to talk to their children about alcohol through a range of activities, including advertising and on-street activity.
Colin Shevills, director of Balance, explained: “It is of vital importance that parents begin to talk to their children, around the time they begin secondary school, about alcohol.
“This will help ensure that young people have the confidence and knowledge necessary to make an informed decision, long before they find themselves in a situation involving alcohol. It will ensure that they are adequately prepared.
“There will be many moments in a young person’s life when they will be called upon to make an important decision and parents have a duty to make their children aware, sooner rather than later, that consuming too much alcohol can lead to poor judgement and risky situations.
“No one should be letting alcohol make their decisions for them. All too often this can lead to fights, one-night stands and the resulting STD or unwanted pregnancy or an evening in A&E.
“I can’t stress enough how much influence parents have in ensuring that their children make the right decisions, for instance, research shows that young people are 12 times less likely to drink alcohol if their parents set clear boundaries.”