A new interactive campaign entitled ‘Think How You Drink’ was launched at a special event today by the PSNI, supported by Diageo Northern Ireland, to highlight the dangers of alcohol misuse among young adults in advance of the busy Christmas period.

A short play produced by ‘Spanner in the Works’ Theatre company is an integral part of the campaign and was performed at the launch event to communicate the consequences of excess alcohol consumption amongst young adults. A series of interactive PSNI workshops will be rolled out across the South West College College’s campuses including Omagh, Fermanagh and Cookstown between 2 – 9 December.

The PSNI programme will also provide the opportunity for guests to view a short film commissioned by Diageo which encourages young adults to stop and think about the consequences of the ‘digital hangover’.  Recent research by Diageo (conducted by OnePoll) has highlighted that 46% of drinkers aged between 18 – 24 have had to ask friends to remove images and videos from social media due the embarrassment it caused.

Through the programme the PSNI will raise questions about the risks and causes of alcohol misuse with young adults and will examine the behaviour of a young adult who is starting to binge drink, with the associated denial and alienation of people around them.

Chief Inspector Jane Humphries, Area Commander DAST and Cookstown said, “We want young adults to understand that they have choices and effect from those choices. A poor decision in the heat of the moment can have lifelong consequence. We do not want to stop young adults having fun but to do it in a sensible way and keep themselves safe.”

Gemma Bell, Head of Responsible Drinking, Diageo Ireland said, “We are proud to support this initiative which aims to communicate the risks of alcohol misuse to young adults in Northern Ireland. Through the company’s involvement with programmes, practices and policies that address issues related to alcohol misuse, we will continue to play an active role and provide consumers with the relevant information they need to make responsible choices regarding alcohol.

“The ‘Think How You Drink’ video forms part of Diageo’s pan European online campaign which higlights levels of embarrassment amongst young adults regarding drunken behaviour and will also feature as part of Diageo’s other responsible drinking initiatives such as ‘Ask Dave’ - an alcohol calculator that helps users keep a track of their drinking” concluded Gemma.

Drink ResponsiblyVisit www.drinkaware.co.uk for the facts

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