Drug campaigns target 9-10 yr olds

MADRID/PALMA
SPAIN'S Health Ministry is now planning to lower the threshhold of its campaign against alcohol abuse to start with the 9 to 10 year olds, Nuria Espi, the National Drugs Plan delegate said yesterday. “Essentially,” said Espi, “instead of organising awareness campaigns amongst teenagers, we have now got to think about targeting children.” According to the School Report into Drug Taking for 2009, the current age when specialists start educating youngsters against the dangers of alcohol and drugs abuse is amongst the 13 and 14 year-olds. Concerns are that schoolchildren are automatically linking the drinking of alcohol with the ritual of getting drunk.

Of the total number of children taking part in a survey 58.5 percent said they had an alcoholic drink every month and of this figure, 49.6 percent confessed to getting drunk. More than 23 percent who said they drank too much said they had more than 5 alcoholic drinks (binge drinking) at least four times a month.

Psychologist Javier Urra, echoed the sentiments of the National Drugs Plan by saying that so far as children are concerned, it is important to address serious issues in a serious way.

Children have got to learn to say no to group pressure, accept themselves as they are without feeling they have to be a stereotype dictated by a crowd, and take up positive activities such as sport, he said.

But Urra didn't reject using educational videos on the dangers that can follow alcohol abuse such as violence, lack of respect towards others and indeed self-respect, problems with the family and addiction. “Children have got an excellent power for absorbing information from the age of 7 onwards and they need to be educated in the difference between having one alcoholic drink and consuming until they're sick,” he said.