Hundreds of students at Huddersfield schools have received a hard-hitting lesson on the dangers of under-age drinking.
Pupils at Honley High School, Newsome Academy and Kirkburton Middle School will be among 6,500 young people at secondary schools across West Yorkshire to see the award-winning alcohol awareness theatre production ‘Smashed.’
Colne Valley Conservative MP Jason McCartney watched the production at Honley High School. The production goes to King James’s School in Almondbury on Thursday November 23.
Developed and presented by Holmfirth-based Collingwood Learning and supported by Diageo, ‘Smashed’ combines drama with interactive workshops to help secondary school students understand the facts, causes and consequences of under-age drinking and drive down alcohol consumption among young people.
Each 25-minute performance is followed by a 35-minute workshop, during which participants have the opportunity to reflect on the themes and answer questions about the choices made by the characters in the performance.
Chris Simes, chair of Collingwood Learning, said: “As statistics show, under-age drinking presents a real threat to the health and well-being of young people.
“Our goal is to enhance the current alcohol education curriculum in schools with our memorable performance and workshop experience that helps young people explore the risks of under-age drinking and build their confidence to say ‘no’ in the face of teenage peer pressure.”
Nuno Teles, managing director at Diageo GB, said: “This year we are embarking on our biggest ‘Smashed’ tour to date and look forward to Collingwood Learning reaching even more communities across West Yorkshire.
“Smashed has an impressive and proven track record of delivering an informative and engaging performance that equips young people with the knowledge to make smart decisions and understand the dangers of under-age drinking.”
