Alcohol: Think drink

"Young people need clear and accessible information in order to make responsible choices about drinking," states the Government's Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy, which launched in March this year. However, it goes on to say that simply providing information does not necessarily change their behaviour. "Young people themselves should be consulted on what is most likely to make a difference."

South Tyneside Youth Offending Team has been doing just that. Eight groups of young people have participated in the design, development and delivery of a campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of alcohol. Each group produced an element of the Think Drink campaign, which includes a web site, drama, animation, music, two films, radio ads and posters. The young people were drawn from groups from all over South Tyneside, including the Bangladeshi community and young people with learning and physical disabilities and sensory impairments.