School children to be taught about the dangers of booze

All schools will soon be expected to teach children about the dangers of excessive drinking, the Department of Health has revealed.

The DH announced today that it has asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to produce guidance on sensible alcohol consumption for use in primary and secondary schools as part of its public health programme.

NICE has also been asked to produce guidance on physical activity, play and sport for pre-school and school-age children in family, pre-school, school and community settings, and on the prevention of the uptake of smoking in children and young people.

“Guidance on promotion of physical activity in children will be a welcome addition to our efforts to halt the rise in obesity among children under 11 by 2010 and reduce obesity in the population as a whole,” said health minister Caroline Flint, announcing NICE’s latest work programme.

“Obesity is a very real problem that affects everyone in society – especially children and our future generation. The report we published last week showed that levels of obesity are predicted to reach worrying levels in coming years.”