Game sends teenagers drink alert

The game shows all the dangers that go along with binge drinking

A computer game based on the dangers of drinking has been developed by pupils from two Renfrewshire schools.

It is estimated more than a third of 15-year-olds binge drink every week and the game aims to tackle alcohol abuse.

In it the player has to find and help a friend who has been drinking and whose condition is constantly deteriorating.

S1 students at Paisley Grammar School and St Andrew's Academy designed the concept, features and sound effects for the ThinknDrinkn game.

The project was developed with the help the University of the West of Scotland's School of Computing.

What we tried to do was create a realistic scenario in a city-scape Andrew Dickie Teacher

It will also go on Glow, the national schools intranet, to be used by schools all over Scotland and can be used on mobile phones.

The pupils have also written and recorded their own song to go with it.

Game players will have to provide fluids and food to a drunk friend and take them home or to hospital, avoiding obstacles including youth gangs along the way.

They will also have to answer various questions related to alcohol misuse and can use links to useful websites to find relevant information.

Authorities are considering the format for other teen problems

One pupil, Charles, said: "Children like games, so I think they'd play it and enjoy it and maybe think to choose differently because its quite cool to play the game but not to drink."

Teacher Andrew Dickie said the project had covered issues of how drink can affect teenagers' health, their social status and their relationships with their families.

He told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "We're hoping to roll it out nationally across Scotland and even beyond that.

"In the testing stages they've really enjoyed it because it's a game that's been created by children - what we tried to do was create a realistic scenario in a city-scape, rather than just a game we wanted it to be real to them.

"Drink is a big problem just now, and increasingly so, with such bad statistics at the moment across Scotland we're trying to do a little bit here and engage the students on their own territory."

Mr Dickie said the project also helped pupils work across school departments, with the university, the police, social workers and the NHS.

Renfrewshire Council is now examining how the game could be used as a template to develop campaigns surrounding other issues, including drugs, gambling and sexual health.