Alarm as parents 'pre-load' with cheap alcohol

The craze, known as "pre-loading", is claiming many casualties, including parents, underage drinkers and mature women according to research by the Hard Hitting (HIT) campaign developed by North

Yorkshire Coast Community Partnership.

The new campaign is intended to highlight the dangers of excessive drinking to parents – who organisers say are more worried about their children getting run over than they are by them experimenting with alcohol.

Health officials have become increasingly concerned that a combination of the credit crunch and cheap supermarket deals on alcohol is moving drink-related problems from pubs and clubs into the home, placing families more at risk.

The latest campaign is launched this week as part of national Alcohol Awareness Week and involves Scarborough Council, Scarborough's

Cambridge Centre, North Yorkshire Police, Safer Communities Partnership and NHS bosses.

Partnership Chairman and Scarborough Council Leader Tom Fox said: "Home drinking is a real problem nationally and in the borough.

"Alcohol-related harm costs money and devastates lives. A lot of home drinking is hidden and the aim of this campaign is to raise awareness about this serious problem and to encourage people who might be

affected, to think about their behaviour and to seek help if they need to."

The campaign uses quotes from local people who are alcohol users and highlights the impact that alcohol use can have.

Nikki Orrell, Chief Executive of the Cambridge Centre, which provides confidential advice and support, said: "We know the impact alcohol is having locally and we are seeing increasing numbers of people with serious alcohol problems.

"The quotes in this campaign are from real people we have worked with and they tell a story about the everyday impact of alcohol.

"We want to encourage people to make some changes in their behaviour before their drinking gets out of control and to recognise the impact their drinking has on others, particularly children."

Young people from Eastfield, Scarborough, were involved in developing the campaign. Jordan Pearson, 14, said: "Sometimes people think it is funny be get drunk and don't realise the consequences."

Mandy Chance, Safer Communities Manager, added: "A lot of parents worry most about unwanted pregnancies, their children being the victim of violence, being involved in road traffic accidents or taking drugs.

"However, some parents do not attach the same concern to their children drinking alcohol, maybe because it was something they once did or maybe because it seems that all youngsters do it and it doesn't really harm them."

The Cambridge Centre also announced yesterday it had appointed a Young Women's Alcohol Worker after the York-based Joseph Rowntree Foundation reported that heavy drinking among women, particularly young women, has doubled.

Similar concerns were behind the launch yesterday of Barnsley Drug and Alcohol Action Team's Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy.

It aims to pool the resources of agencies tackling alcohol misuse and the associated violence across the borough, building on improved treatment.

The launch at Barnsley Town Hall included a video sharing some of the stories of the children who live with alcohol dependant parents.

It is estimated that half of all adults who misuse alcohol or drugs have dependent children.

Martin Farran, Executive Director of Adults and Communities, said: ""We need to change attitudes about what is and what is not acceptable, increasing knowledge amongst our communities of the impact alcohol misuse has in their area and on our services."

Watershed call over drink ads

Campaigners today called for a 9pm watershed on alcohol advertising amid claims that millions of children watched the ads during live World Cup games.

Alcohol Concern said children as young as four watched alcohol ads during the World Cup.

The ads were screened during live England games between 8pm and 10pm and were within advertising regulations. According to the charity, 1.6 million children viewed alcohol ads during England's game against Algeria and 1.4 million during the game against the US.