A US inspired programme to teach teenagers about drinking and smoking has proved so successful that it will now receive city funding

A new programme to curb teenagers’ alcohol and smoking habits will be implemented in 67 city schools, with six already showing positive results, reports Metroxpress newspaper.

The programme, called ‘Tackling’, is modelled after the US Life Skills Training programme which targets the major social and psychological factors that can lead to substance and alcohol abuse and other antisocial behaviours in young people through open discussion.

The latest report looks at the conclusions from the six schools where the programme was first implemented in 2006.

Pernille Lindhardt-Hansen, a teacher at Sortedamsskolen, said the programme is well-suited to students aged between thirteen and fifteen.

‘For example, how should a girl deal with being the only one who can only have two drinks at a party and be home by 10 p.m. Should she stay loyal to her parents’ wishes? That’s the type of issue we can talk about,’ said Lindhardt-Hansen.

Parents are also required to get involved in the discussions.

Claus Praeger-Jahnsen, the father of  a Year 7 student, said the project was ‘an eye-opener’.

‘We were surprised at how many of the kids had been drunk before,’ he said. ‘The students were able to respond anonymously. We ended up agreeing that there should be no alcohol at all at their parties.’

The city has set aside 3 million kroner for expanding the programme, which is based on a co-operation between deputy health mayor Mogens Lønborg and deputy youth affairs mayor Bo Asmus Kjeldgaard.

‘Our job is to help kids have a sensible attitude towards alcohol and tobacco so they don’t end up with permanent hangovers and a rotten life,’ said Kjeldgaard.

Figures from the three-year assessment showed that of boys in Year 9, 75.7 percent indicated they had been drunk before, while 68.4 percent of the girls said the same.

Girls smoked more, however, with 10 percent saying they smoked daily, compared to 8.7 percent of boys who said they smoked every day.