Plea on boozing pupils

Parents of Staffordshire teenagers are being urged face their responsibilities to help decrease underage drinking as one in three pupils aged 11-15 are said to drink.

The county council is asking parents to look out for the signs and set boundaries for youngsters. A two-year campaign for teenagers is under way but the message is being directed further afield. Martin Wilcock, council alcohol and social education adviser, said: "In schools children receive a wide range of targeted information about alcohol in lessons.

"But it's much harder to reach parents and influence their behaviour."

A survey of Staffordshire schools last year revealed one in three pupils drink alcohol. Figures led to targets being agreed with the Government to cut levels of underage drinking by next year.

The council says parents can do a range of things to educate their own children. These include:

• Finding out what is being taught and discussing it further at home.

• Source information to answer difficult questions instead of pretending to be an expert.

• Instilling self confidence in children to resist pressure and make informed choices.

• Be aware of warning signs but don't jump to conclusions. If you suspect a child is drinking or taking drugs, talk calmly to them before deciding the next step.

• Good parents set boundaries about where children go and arrange a time to be back.

Research suggests youngsters who drink large amounts in their early teens are more likely to have problems in their 30s, such as alcoholism, criminality, illegal drugs, mental health problems or homelessness.

Mr Wilcock said: "We fully respect that individual parents are best placed to make decisions regarding their own children. But what we do want to do is remind parents about the importance of educating young people about alcohol."