How old were you when you had your first alcoholic drink?
We want to know all about your thoughts about kids and alcohol at a Twitter chat on Thursday evening, from 8pm to 9pm. We’ll be gathering together all your advice and experiences for a post on the Tots100 next week, and your tip could also win you a £25 Amazon voucher if it’s one of our favourites.
Given the headlines and coverage on TV, you might be surprised to know that fewer young people are drinking alcohol than they were 20 years ago. But those who are drinking are drinking more. In fact, the amount of alcohol that young people who do drink consume, on average, has more than doubled since 1994.
Young people are extremely vulnerable to the effects of alcohol. They tend to be unfamiliar with the effects of alcohol, so it’s easy for them to inadvertently drink an amount well beyond the recommended guidelines. The consequences can be serious – 5,000 teenagers every year are admitted to hospital for alcohol-related illness or injury.
Scary, isn’t it?
Join us this Thursday at 8pm on Twitter and we’ll be teaming up with Drinkaware to talk about kids and alcohol. We’ll be sharing the FACTS about kids and drinking, and we’ll also have experts on hand from Drinkaware’s Mumtank Forum to answer your questions about young people and drinking. Mumtank members Rosie Scribble and Chris Mosler will also be sharing their personal experiences during the event. Want to follow the conversation? You’ll need to use the #Kidsandalcohol hashtag.
We will be joined by:
Dr Sarah Jarvis is a GP, and married with 2 children. She is a resident doctor on Good Housekeeping and Radio 2, appearing regularly on Jeremy Vine’s Radio 2 programme, as well as Radio 5 Live, GMTV, Radio 4 and ITN News
To ask Dr Sarah Jarvis a question, send tweets to @drinkaware and mention that your question is for Sarah.
Superintendent Julie Whitmarsh from Devon & Cornwall Police is a member of the ACPO Group on reducing alcohol related harm and joint chair of Newquay Safe, a local initiative to tackle alcohol related harm, crime and disorder in Newquay. As a police officer on the front line, Julie regularly witnesses the negative effects of underage drinking. To ask Julie a question, tweet her @juliewhitmarsh.
Want to take part?
Just make sure you’re following Tots100 and Drinkaware on Thursday 28 June for our Twitter chat and be sure to Tweet using the #kidsandalcohol hashtag – after the event, check back on our site and we’ll be publishing the best of your tips, comments and experiences.
What Parents Must Know About Kids and Alcohol
Here are my archive articles on alcohol