Growing up with Alcohol

The use and misuse of alcohol by young people is an established concern. Initiatives designed to educate the young about the potential dangers of alchol are frequently directed solely at teenagers. Growing up with Alcohol argues that this may be leaving it too late. Emma Fossey presents a detailed account of a study of children aged between five and ten years, carried out through a series of ingenious game-like activities. She explodes the myth that young children are ignorant about alcohol and provides valuable insights about how very young children learn about alcohol and about their early perceptions of alcohol. The study questions the effectiveness of past alcohol education and argues strongly that future initiatives should develop innovative and user-friendly alcohol education materials for use in primary as will as in secondary schools and colleges.