SECONDARY school students across Chester will receive crucial lessons on the risks of underage drinking, in an effort to reduce underage drinking and its associated harm among young people.

Smashed, an international educational theatre production by Collingwood Learning and supported by Diageo, will visit 12 schools in Cheshire, including five in Chester.

Performances will be held at Christleton High School, The Bishop’s Blue Coat CE High School, Queens Park High School, The Catholic High School and Upton-by-Chester High School.

From October 17 to 25, the impactful show will use interactive performances to educate students about the causes and consequences of drinking underage.

Now in its 20th year, Smashed has delivered educational performances to students in 38 countries around the world.

Through a combination of live theatre performances, interactive workshops and digital experiences, the project educates young people about the dangers of alcohol use.

Smashed uses professional actors to present a 25-minute performance followed by a 35-minute workshop where participants reflect on the themes and answer questions about the choices made by the characters.

This initiative aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by fostering a culture of health and well-being among adolescents, a critical demographic for instilling lifelong healthy habits. Smashed does not merely inform; it transforms attitudes and behaviours towards alcohol consumption among young people. In the 2023 – 2024 school year, 73 percent of students in Great Britain said they were less likely to drink alcohol underage following the Smashed performance.

Smashed works in close collaboration with Community Alcohol Partnerships (CAPs), an organisation which brings together councils, police, retailers, schools, health providers, and community groups across the UK to reduce alcohol related harm among young people.

In the past decade, the UK has made positive progress in reducing levels of underage drinking. However, data from the Government shows that hospital admissions for alcohol-specific conditions among under 18s in Cheshire West are above England’s national average (28.7 per 100,000 versus 26.0 per 100,000).

Nuno Teles, Managing Director at Diageo GB, said:

“I am so proud that ‘Smashed’ has reached its twentieth year in Great Britain. This really is a testament to the incredible impact of the programme worldwide, consistently delivering a fantastic learning experience for young people with a proven significant increase in understanding of the dangers of underage drinking. At Diageo, we are deeply committed to tackling underage drinking and we hope that the students we are visiting across Cheshire will not only gain valuable insights from the performances, but also leave better informed and prepared to make responsible choices about alcohol.”

Chris Simes, Managing Director at Collingwood Learning, added:

“We are excited to return to Cheshire with Smashed Live in Autumn 2024. Despite the progress made in reducing underage drinking across Great Britain, it remains crucial to continue reinforcing our message, and our team is eager to engage young people in Cheshire about the ongoing health and social risks of drinking underage.”