Log on to ... Alcohol

There is growing concern about the amount of alcohol young people are consuming and the effect it is having on their developing bodies. The government's chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, estimates that more than 300,000 11- to 15-year-olds drink each weekend, while nearly 10,000 children and young people are admitted to hospital every year for alcohol-related problems.

It's the role of the charity The Drinkaware Trust to promote responsible drinking. At the time of writing, the lead item featured on its website, www.drinkaware.co.uk, is a report on a joint investigation with The Guardian, entitled Alcohol and Young People: What's the Attraction? Included here are a number of short films by a round table of experts that look at issues such as parental attitudes, why young people drink and the role that youth workers and teachers play. Written research findings are also available. These will be useful if you intend to develop a strategy, while a variety of fact sheets and "ask an expert" and "did you know?" slots provide bite-sized information that can be used directly with young people.

Drinkaware also has a sub-website, www.truthaboutbooze.com, which is targeted specifically at young people. It includes a "your stories" section that focuses on the grim side of alcohol, from an unplanned pregnancy at 16 to a big night out that finishes with one young reveller comatose and covered in vomit. The tone may verge on the evangelical, but the quizzes and briefings about the effects of alcohol are useful for engaging young people.

A tool featured here may prove especially useful for young people who struggle to grasp the concept of alcohol units. It involves clicking on a picture of a drink, then selecting the relevant brand and the number of glasses, bottles or pints consumed. A box at the top of the screen keeps a running total of units. The views and experiences of young people are also represented via a selection of vox pop films. These may not be all that revealing in themselves, but the approach does offer a model that could be adapted by any local project looking at health and alcohol issues.

A site that covers similar territory is www.talkaboutalcohol.com, which has a range of zones designed to engage young people in quizzes and games, while giving them useful messages about alcohol. The Personality Zone includes the kind of lifestyle quizzes familiar from magazines, offering quick analyses of your character based on responses to such questions as "who do you think you are?" and "what kind of friend are you?". The Challenge Zone features animated scenarios, such as a friend's boozy birthday picnic in the park, which allow users to pick different courses of action and assess the consequences.

A distinctly Scottish take on all this is offered at www.fablevision.org/idw. Developed by multimedia education specialists FableVision, the site is an extension of a touring live performance called I Don't Want to be Like That. It features an interactive animated story that follows the exploits of Bob, a young English exile in Scotland, and his friend Julie in the fictional town of Hetherington.

The site enables wide-ranging discussion around substance misuse, especially alcohol, while extensive educators' notes provide discussion topics and activities that address key themes. Don't tell children's minister Beverley Hughes, but the one thing vulnerable, vodka-swilling Bob very definitely doesn't want to be at the start is "someone who goes to the youth club on Saturday night". The scenes featured include a school, youth club, nightclub, pub and a hospital autopsy of a heavy drinker. By the end, of course, there's a way forward for Bob, who is encouraged to recognise his ability to make his own choices.

Website www.al-anonuk.org.uk/alateen looks at the impact adult drinking can have on young lives. It is run by alcohol advice organisation Al-Anon and features a section to help young people recognise when they may need help. The frequently asked questions section points young people to sources of support including Alateen groups that meet in some larger cities.

WEB FILE

www.drinkaware.co.uk - Includes fact sheets and other information on the dangers of drinking for under-18s

www.truthaboutbooze.com - Contains a range of lifestyle quizzes, facts, videos and personal testimony that all feature a strong responsible drinking message

www.talkaboutalcohol.com - Facts, quizzes and challenges for young people in themed zones

www.fablevision.org/idw - Features an animated story, as well as teachers' notes

www.al-anonuk.org.uk/alateen - Offers guidance to teenagers affected by the drinking of friends or relatives.