Im glad its not drugs

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Im glad its not drugs!!!!
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Workshop aims

• To help frontline workers support parents and
  guardians with
• managing and minimising the risks and harm to
  their children
• of using and misusing alcohol

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Putting you in the picture

• Young people drinking alcohol costs the taxpayer
  millions a year
• The cost of dealing with alcohol related crime
  caused by under-18s is estimated to be between
  915 million and 1.15 billion every year
• Almost half of young people say they got their
  alcohol from their parents with less than a third
  from friends and less than a quarter say they got
  it from a pub or an off-licence
• Research shows that parents own drinking habits
  are learned and copied by their children
• Hospital admissions rate High Peak 2nd,
  Chesterfield 3rd out of 40 local authorities in
  East Midlands

Ref - www.dh.gov.uk
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Putting you in the picture

• In the UK there are an estimated 3.5 million
  children aged 11-17 who have consumed alcohol
• By the time they are 15, the vast majority of
  young people have had their first alcoholic drink
• It is estimated that over 700,000 children under
  the age of 15 drank alcohol last week
• Almost a quarter of a million under 15s drink
  more than once a week
• There is a significant number of young people who
  drink to get drunk
• It is not confined to one social group

Ref - www.dh.gov.uk
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The affects of Alcohol

• It is a depressant
• It slows down the brain and reactions
• Inhibitions are depressed
• Impaired thinking
• Lose co-ordination
• Affect the development of the brain in young
  people
• Death
• Risk of choking
• Alcohol poisoning

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The risks of alcohol

• Young people who drink to excess may
• Suffer serious injuries
• End up in hospital
• Get into arguments and fights
• Get into trouble with the police
• Not develop their full potential
• Find themselves in vulnerable situations
• Have unsafe sex
• Continue to drink
• Develop serious illnesses

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Chief Medical Officer Advice

• An alcohol-free childhood is the healthiest and
  best option.
• If children do drink alcohol, it should not be
  until at least the age of 15 years
• If young people aged 15-17 years old consume
  alcohol it should be always be with the guidance
  of a parent or carer or in a supervised
  environment
• Young people aged 15-17 years should never exceed
  recommended adult daily limits

Ref - www.dh.gov.uk
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The Alcohol Strategy

• We should aim to
• Delay the onset of regular drinking, primarily by
  changing attitudes of 11-15 year olds and their
  parents about alcohol
• Reduce harm to young people who have already
  started drinking
• Create a culture in which young people feel that
  they can have fun without needing to drink

Ref - www.dh.gov.uk
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The Alcohol Strategy

• In light of recent information about the drinking
  habits of young people the government recognises
  that parents
• play an important role in tackling these issues
  and
• Need clear guidance and knowledge in order to
  make informed decisions about
• How to approach drinking issues with their
  children
• What is/is not safe and sensible drinking

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How will we do this?

• Exploring parental responses to drinking
• Challenging peoples assumptions
• Providing factual information about young
  peoples drinking
• Providing suggestions for how you could help

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Myths and attitudes

• When working with parents and guardians what
  myths and attitudes do you think you may come
  across about the use/misuse of alcohol by young
  people?

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Myths and attitudes

• Its not as bad as drugs
• The worse that can happen is they are sick and
  have a hangover
• Theres no real harm in it
• We cant stop them getting hold of alcohol
• Others will buy it for them anyway
• They serve them in the pub anyway
• Theyll do it whatever we say
• They just shouldnt do it
• Mine would never do that

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Myths and attitudes

• I did it when I was young
• Everyone drinks!!!!
• They are only having fun
• Whats the harm its legal
• They are going to turn into a delinquent
• They wont do it again
• My drinking doesnt impact on their drinking
• Im powerless to do anything about their drinking
• They will learn from their own mistakes

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How can we help?

• Research shows that a brief intervention from a
  helping professional can be very effective in
  changing attitudes of both the parent and or the
  young person

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How do can we help to delay the onset of
drinking?

• Responsible parenting
• Knowing where your kids are/who they are
  with/what they are doing
• Make sure that there is a responsible adult
  supervising at any parties/events
• Arranging family time/activities
• Have fixed home times
• Make sure you know how they are getting home
• Make sure you have contact details
• Do not buy or give young people alcohol
• Make sure that your alcohol is locked away

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Delay the onset of young peoples drinking

• Provide age appropriate information about
• Units
• Dangers of alcohol
• Physical and Health effects of alcohol
• The law
• Being a role model
• Remember your views will have an impact
• Set boundaries around drinking

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Exercise 1

• Case study 1. Charlie is 10 years old and wants
  to try his first pint of lager
• Case study 2. Gemma is 5 years old and is very
  curious about the bottle of wine on the table at
  dinner time
• Marcus who is 11 tells you he is going to a party
  and that some of his mates have spoken about
  sneaking in some beer.

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What do we do when young people have already
started drinking?

• We have to accept that most teenagers are going
  to experiment
• with some form of drugs however, there is a big
  difference
• between experimentation and problem drinking

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Why do young people drink?

• Experimentation - finding out what happens
• Exerting their independence
• Social leveller to have fun etc.
• Help them with their feelings
• Because they are told not too!!!!
• Gives them confidence, superhuman feelings etc.

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Making decisions around young people and drinking

• Encourage parents to
• Talk it through
• Negotiate
• Be realistic
• Listen to your childs point of view
• Be flexible?????????

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What should the message be to our young people?

• The truth
• The facts and information that they need to make
  decisions
• The skills to help them make those decisions
  under difficult situations
• The law about alcohol
• The knowledge about how to drink safely if they
  do decide to drink

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How can we help to minimise the risk?

• How risky is the activity?
• What is the worst that can happen?
• What is the best that can happen?
• What choices does the person involved have?
• What would be the best thing to do?
• How would a parent feel about their teenager
  becoming involved in the activity?

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How can we help to minimise risk ?

• Talk to them when the are most likely to be
  around alcohol such as nights out, Christmas and
  summer holidays
• Talk to young people at times when theyre
  experiencing stress, exams, changing schools,
  leaving school, family difficulties
• Explain units and binge drinking
• Explain health risks associated with drinking
• Set boundaries

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What do you do when it does happen?

• Talk to them when they are sober and are not hung
  over
• Talk to them when you know you be can be calm
• Start by listening to your son/daughter
• Say what you think and feel
• Provide them with information
• Make them aware of the risks
• Decide what the consequences will be
• What will you do in the future?
• Warn them that this is what you will do

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Exercise 2

• Case study 1. - Janet who is fifteen has asked
  her mum if she can go to a party on Saturday
  night at a friends house.
• Case study 2 It is the day before New Years Eve
  and John who is thirteen, tells his mum some of
  his friends are going into town to celebrate the
  New Year.
• Case study 3 Natalie is fourteen and is brought
  home by the Police because she was found asleep
  on a park bench and is drunk.

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Further help

• Derbyshire Alcohol and Advice Service
• Living with Teenagers
• Parent Help Line
• Pastoral managers in schools
• School nurses
• Web sites
• www.units.nhs.uk
• www.daas.org.uk
• www.dh.gov.uk
• Leaflets