Children and Alcohol – NOT a good mix

The Northern Trust Community Support Project, in partnership with Moyle Policing & Community Safety Partnership (PCSP), is holding an event at the end of the month to explore the issues around children and alcohol intake. Entitled “Children & Alcohol – NOT a good mix, what we can do to reduce the harm” the event will take place in the Marine Hotel Ballycastle on Wednesday 29th January from 7.00 – 9.30pm (dinner served at 6pm) and parents, teachers, youth workers, community representatives and professionals in the Moyle area are encouraged to attend.

People are presenting with alcohol related illnesses at an increasingly earlier stage in their lives. There will be several speakers who will present on how alcohol impacts on the young person; emotionally and socially, how alcohol is the main cause of underage crime and what Moyle, as a community can do to reduce alcohol related harms. A range of support organisations will also be available for people to access further information.

Emma McElhone, Community Support Officer in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust said: “It is easier to prevent children from beginning to use alcohol than it is to intervene once patterns of behaviour are firmly established, so it is a good idea to talk to them before their teen years and before their friends do. I would encourage everyone who has influence on a young person to come along and hear the difficulties alcohol can cause and how you can prevent these.

“It is important that we communicate clearly the effects of alcohol and make sure our communities and in particular our children, are much better informed of the consequences of excessive drinking. It is key we get these messages out to our children at the earliest opportunity to have a chance at making a difference”.

In order to facilitate catering arrangements participants must register by contacting 028 2563 6600 or email: emma.mcelhone@northerntrust.hscni.net

The event has been organised as part of a community mobilisation project which has been funded by Moyle PCSP.

24th January 2014