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Computer game tackles teenage alcohol misuse
Home > News and Events > News - release archive > 2008 > March
Pupils from two Renfrewshire schools have come up with an innovative way to tackle teenage alcohol abuse.
First year pupils at Paisley Grammar School and St Andrews Academy have teamed up to create a computer game and song based on the dangers of drinking.
First year pupils at Paisley Grammar School and St Andrews Academy have teamed up to create a computer game and song based on the dangers of drinking.
The young people involved came up with the concept and features of the 'ThinknDrink' game as well as writing and recording a song to go with it. These were officially launched at Paisley Town Hall on Monday 17 March.
The educational game will be used in personal and social education (PSE) lessons in all of Renfrewshire's schools. It will also go on Glow, the national schools intranet, and can be used on mobile phones.
The project, which began in summer 2007, has been funded by the Renfrewshire Community Safety Partnership as part of the bid to tackle the growing number of young people binge drinking.
Statistics show that more than a third of 15-year-olds binge drink every week and half of all 13-year-olds have been "really drunk" at least once.
The concept, designed by pupils, is that the player has to find and help a friend who has been drinking and whose condition is constantly deteriorating. The player will have to provide fluids and food, and take them home or to hospital whilst avoiding obstacles, including youth gangs, along the way.
They will also have to answer various questions related to alcohol misuse, and can use links to useful websites to find relevant information.
Andrew Dickie, principal teacher of music at Paisley Grammar School, has been leading the project. He said: "In the UK in the last five years, 600 children under the age of eight have been hospitalised because of alcohol. I think that shows that it is never too early to start educating kids on the dangers of drinking."
"The game has been created by children so that it will be realistic to them as well as enjoyable. It covers issues that are relevant to teenagers such as how drink affects their health, their social status and their relationships."
"The response of all the children involved has been fantastic and in the testing stages they have all really enjoyed it."
The University of the West of Scotland's school of computing has been working with the pupils on creating the game.
Professor Thomas Connolly said: "The aim of this project was to engage and motivate first year students to work collaboratively on a set of linked activities that had some relevance and educational value to them."
"The project has been extremely successful and the children have been highly engaged in the project throughout the past few months. The results have been so positive that we are looking to roll the idea out across other schools in future years."
Press release: Wednesday 19 March 2008
Click on the link below to listen to the pupil's ThinknDrink song in MP3 format (Warning - this file is 1.1Mb in size and may take some time to download)
ThinknDrink song
