THE message of the dangers of alcohol was delivered to Year 7 middle school youngsters, in Pinvin, through a play and interactive workshop.

The 100 youngsters watched the staged production by The Smashed Project which centred around three youths, too much alcohol and one life-changing accident.

The play dealt with the relationships of different characters, the causes and consequences of underage drinking and the effects of peer pressure. As the story unfolded, children saw how easy it was to get involved in underage drinking. One of the characters, clearly made very ill from drinking too much, was then easily coerced into drinking again, despite his resolution not to. Events got out of hand, resulting in an aspiring model suffering life-changing facial injuries.

The play was followed by an interactive workshop which engaged pupils in exploring who was at fault and how they may have acted differently to avoid the disastrous outcome. Different scenarios were played out until eventually a solution was hit upon, which simultaneously allowed the youths to retain their friendships whilst promoting alcohol avoidance.

After the workshop, Year 7 pupil Cameron Ellis said: "The play reflected the dangers of alcohol and showed me how to be aware in the near future," while Jack Dunkley said: "It changed how I thought about alcohol."

Jo Jo Barker said it brought the dangers of underage drinking to life.

The Smashed Project was launched in 2004 in the UK. Since then it has toured to over 1,300 schools in England, Wales, and Scotland. It has reached 270,000 young people aged 12 and 13. It has been recognised by the government for its effectiveness and has been commended by awards bodies.