A GROUP of teenage researchers have found that alcohol advertising aimed at adults is also influencing children in the North-East.

Click here to for more information on Alcohol Awareness Week and to sign the Balance petition

The Year Ten pupils from Hummersknott Academy, in Darlington, were asked by the North-East Alcohol Office, Balance, to monitor the extent to which alcohol advertising had an impact on their lives.

The youngsters found that alcohol advertising was all around them and gave young people a one-sided positive view of drinking.

The informal survey, carried out by media studies students, appears to endorse one of the main objectives of this week’s Enough is Enough campaign by Balance.

Balance is urging people in the region to sign up to an online petitition calling on the Government to introduce regulations to prevent alcohol adverts from targeting youngsters, prevent alcohol adverts being shown on TV and cinema for under-18 certificate films and prevent alcohol-related sponsorship of sporting and youth events.

The Hummersknott pupils took photographs of bus shelter adverts, supermarket promotions and images shown on television.

All of the images highlighted happiness and celebration rather than street violence, people being sick in public and liver disease.

Rory Hunter, 14, said: “The alcohol advertising I see is mostly shown during football on TV. Bus shelters sometimes have drink adverts as well but they never show the downside.

They should show the dangers of drinking as well.”

Emma Raw, 14, said: “Because alcohol is publicised so much it has become acceptable. In the past it was seen as only for adults and it wasn’t so available for young people.”

Karla Bradley, also 14, said: “It is scary how many people our age have tried alcohol. Someone told me you have never lived unless you have been drunk.”

The group all felt that advertising should be restricted and schools should do more to emphasise the harm caused by irresponsible use of alcohol.