Amy Winehouse Charity In Barnsley

12 March 2013, 11:06 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

A scheme, set up by the Amy Winehouse charity, is at a Barnsley school teaching kids about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

Mitch Winehouse, Amy’s dad, is launching of a major new schools programme, which has been developed by the Amy Winehouse Foundation and respected drug and alcohol charity Addaction.

He says the generation of children are being “failed” and “put at risk” by a drug and alcohol education that is “inconsistent”.

Mitch Winehouse, is critising the cuts to drug and alcohol educational funding and say that unless urgent action is taken more young people will end up taking drugs and drinking.

The scheme aims to reduce substance misuse and increase young people’s awareness and knowledge regarding drugs and alcohol issues.

Figures provided by Addaction show that, in just five years, the charity has seen an almost 25 per cent rise in the number of young people seeking help for drug and alcohol problems. 

Many are misusing new substances such as the so-called ‘legal high’ Mephedrone. The charity is now seeing people who are even injecting the drug.

The Amy Winehouse Foundation ResilienceProgramme – The drug and alcohol awareness programme for schools will initially be rolled out to 50 schools in ten different locations across England and will be part-delivered by people who are themselves in recovery.