Spirits industry giant Diageo has announced a new campaign to support parents in preventing underage drinking. 

Based on research commissioned by Community Alcohol Partnerships (CAP), Diageo is collaborating with influencers to highlight the dangers of underage drinking. 

Demonstrating the role of parents in preventing underage drinking, the research found that 53% of parents have allowed, or would allow their children to have an alcoholic drink. A further 71% of young people between the ages of 11-15 have said that parents and carers are their main source of alcohol.

In response to the findings, Diageo’s six-week campaign will see social media content from Dadlife author and father of four Simon Hooper, The Only Way is Essex star Debbie Bright, fitness instructor Javeno Mclean and LGBTQ+ parenting bloggers Jamie and Tom.

The campaign will also direct parents, carers and guardians to DRINKiQ, Diageo’s educational website on responsible drinking. 

Nuno Teles, managing director of Diageo GB, said: “We hope this campaign helps outline the risks of alcohol consumption amongst young people, providing parents across the country with an engaging source of advice and information around how they can best support their children.”

Kate Winstanley, director of CAP, added: “I’m delighted to see Diageo continue their work in tackling underage drinking, too few parents understand that government advice is that children should have a mainly alcohol-free childhood. We welcome this innovative campaign and hope that it encourages parents and carers to think about the dangers of underage drinking.”

The campaign feeds into Diageo’s 10-year ESG action plan, which aims to educate 10 million young people, parents and teachers on the dangers of underage drinking.