'Warn pupils of alcohol risks'

By Sophie Goodchild

Published: 06 May 2007

Schools must introduce compulsory lessons to educate children about the health risks of heavy drinking, according to George Best's liver specialist.

Professor Roger Williams, who was the footballer's consultant, is warning that increased binge drinking among teenagers is leaving them at risk of liver damage.

"What young people say is 'I drink and I feel perfectly fine,'" said Professor Williams, director of the Institute of Hepatology at University College London.

"They don't understand that the damage done by drinking is progressive. But they would take notice of the figures of people dying from acute drunkenness and accidents."

His concerns will be highlighted this week at a conference organised by the Medical Officers of Schools Association (Mosa) whose members promote good health and wellbeing advice in private schools.

Mosa says it has tried to tackle the problem by encouraging pupils to offer each other support and to alert staff in confidence if they believe a friend has a drink problem.

Figures show that there has been a big rise in the number of young people killed by heavy drinking. Drink-related deaths among 15- to 34-year-olds have increased by almost 60 per cent since 1991.