Smashed: Play focusing on the dangers of underage drinking set to visit Wakefield schools

Developed and presented by Collingwood Learning and supported by Diageo, “Smashed” combines drama with interactive workshops to help secondary school students understand the facts, causes and consequences of underage drinking and drive down alcohol consumption among young people.

Each performance is followed by a workshop, during which participants have the opportunity to reflect on the themes and answer questions about the choices made by the characters in the performance.

Diageo has long committed to promoting moderation and tackling alcohol harm across the UK, supporting initiatives like "Smashed” as part of its ambition to educate 10 million young people, teachers and parents globally by 2030.

Now in its 18th year, "Smashed” has delivered educational performances to students in 38 countries around the world. The tour engaged more than 1.9 million students globally live and online in 2022-2023 alone and in Great Britain has reached over half a million students to date.

“Smashed” works in close collaboration with Community Alcohol Partnerships (CAP), a community-interest company that brings together councils, retailers, police, schools, health providers and community groups across the UK to reduce alcohol harm among young people.

Chris Simes, chair of Collingwood Learning, said: “We are thrilled to be bringing this global programme back to schools in West Yorkshire this year.

"As statistics show, underage drinking presents a real threat to the health and well-being of young people.

"Our goal is to enhance the current alcohol education curriculum in schools with our memorable performance and workshop experience that helps young people explore the risks of underage drinking and build their confidence to say ‘no’ in the face of teenage peer pressure.”

Nuno Teles, managing director at Diageo GB, said: “This year we are embarking on our biggest ‘Smashed’ tour to date and look forward to Collingwood Learning reaching even more communities across West Yorkshire.

"’Smashed’ has an impressive and proven track record of delivering an informative performance that equips young people with the knowledge to make smart decisions and understand the dangers of underage drinking."