“Do you know what your children are up to and how aware they are of the impact alcohol consumption can have on them?”
That is the message from the parents of a young girl who fell seriously ill after downing vodka she bought with her pocket money.
They have spoken out as part of Alcohol Awareness Week, which runs from October 18 to 24 and has the theme of Alcohol and Childhood.
Both mum and dad had no idea their 14-year-old daughter was experimenting with alcohol and happily gave her money to buy a burger and fries when she went out with her friends on a Friday night.
They were shocked and devastated to receive a call some hours later from Community Safety Partnership staff who had found their daughter unconscious and seriously ill with alcohol poisoning in her local park.
She had bought the vodka and drank it, with no understanding of just how strong it was, as her peers consumed lesser-proof drinks such as lager and alcopops.
As a result, she fell unconscious and was resuscitated and kept safe by staff working on a Community Safety Partnership Friday Night Squad, which works across the County Borough to deal with underage drinking and youth disorder.
They called paramedics who took the girl to hospital where, thankfully, she made a full recovery after treatment.
The shocking incident sends a clear message to all parents to ensure they have a responsible, open relationship with their children when it comes to alcohol consumption and the impact it can have.
That is why the Explain Alcohol campaign has been re-launched across Rhondda Cynon Taf as part of Alcohol Awareness Week.
The girl’s parents explained: “We had no idea our daughter was experimenting with alcohol and, as a result, had never had discussions with her about the impact that it can have.
“As a result, she went out and bought alcohol with no appreciation of how strong it was or how it could harm her, leading to her becoming seriously ill.
“Our message to other parents is that there is a chance that could have been your child and it is so important for us to have open, healthy discussions around alcohol consumption so young people are prepared.
“No one wants to think about, or condone, their children consuming alcohol, but everyone is bound to experiment at some time in their lives and it is important they do so with the full facts and knowledge.
“Explain Alcohol is an easy-to-use website that includes all the information parents and their children need, including communication cards to prompt and shape discussions.”
Paul Cannon, Chair of the Community Safety Partnership, said: “The number one complaint received by residents is about alcohol-related youth disorder.
“That is why we have a squad of officers, including police, youth workers, anti-social behaviour officers and more who patrol the streets dealing with young people.
“As well as deterring problems and finding alternative social activities for young people, they also seize alcohol, establish where underage sales are being made and then work with the children and their parents to create a more positive way forward.
“This work has made significant ground in dealing with underage drinking in public.
“However, it is important for us all to remember that underage drinking does not just happen in the park on a Friday night and we all have a duty to ensure we know as much as we can about what our children are up to.
“Often behaviour and attitudes surrounding alcohol is learned and passed down through the generations.
“That is why Explain Alcohol is so important. It provides the foundations for a positive and productive relationship between parents and their children at the click of a mouse.
“Talking about alcohol, responsible consumptions and the impact of drinking is not condoning or encouraging underage drinking.
“It is about ensuring our children have the information they need to make informed decisions about the issues that affect them.”
For more information, visit the Explain Alcohol website
