What is the Sidewalk Project?
The Sidewalk Project is a Partnership between Perth North Church and Perth YMCA, its aim is to build positive relationships with young people and to informally educate in regard to alcohol misuse. The Sidewalk Project works in Perth City Centre and delivers youthwork on the streets of Perth on Friday and Saturday evenings as well as being in Perth City Schools.
Youthwork
We work on the streets of Perth and in schools, if you are a young person and would like to talk to us about anything at all then please do so, we could give you some advice about school or home issues or help you with your future plans. Most of all we are here to listen and respect you as a young adult. The service is confidential, ie what you say to the team stays within the team, none of it ends up here or on Facebook.
What do we think about young people and alcohol misuse....
Lets get one thing straight... if it arrived on the planet today alcohol would be classed as a Class A drug, because of the cost of the mess that it causes, the time of police work, health services, social work and to employers for sickies taken for hangovers etc etc.. in Scotland alone the cost of alcohol to the economy is over £4billion per year.
The facts are this that alcohol is a depressant drug, it doesnt make you feel happier or actually help you escape from the issues you may be facing, just might distract you in the short term, and add to the issues by getting the police on your case too. When alcohol gets into your system it relaxed the parts of your brain that enable you to have common sense, reason and also make sound judgements, it also affects your balance....
There are also long term health implications, the more you drink before your liver is developped ( ie 18-9) the higher the likelihood of getting liver disease at an early age, oh and i mean about 35-40, not 55-70. The age for the onset of liver disease in scotland is getting younger and younger. Some of you drinking heavily now might not be in much of a fit state to have children, let alone grandkids....
Ask yourself : are you the kind of person that really finds it enjoyable to be vomitting in the streets, being chased by police or getting in trouble from your parents? are you?
Are you the kind of person that in one moment of drunkenness may lose your much sought after car, destroy a family and end up in jail, for one too many drinks before you drive that short distance home?
Are you the kind of person that is realising that the alcohol isnt helping the situation but feels unable to sort it out themselves?
Are you the kind of person that wants to do something better with their life rather than be at the mercy of alcohol?
Just have a think about it, you can be different, different from your friends by not drinking, different from your alcoholic parents or wider family, you can make something of your life, you have a choice.