Personal Stories

Sarah-Jane, Scotland

Sarah-Jane has witnessed first-hand how alcohol can destroy a life. A few years ago, her father died from alcohol abuse aged just 45. "When my dad was sober he was really funny,” says Sarah-Jane. “He knew how to make me laugh and he always had a real twinkle in his eye. But when he was drinking he wasn't himself anymore.”

Many deprived communities like the area of Glasgow where Sarah-Jane lives, stories like this are not uncommon. People from a young age begin to drink heavily and underage and binge drinking is rife. It’s because of this desperate situation that Comic Relief funded the Greater Easterhouse Alcohol Awareness Project (GEAAP), an initiative that supports anyone concerned about their own alcohol use or another’s.

“When my dad was drinking it made me really angry and I would take that anger out on anyone around me,” says Sarah-Jane. “That was until I started coming to GEAAP. They really helped me understand and deal with a lot of things I was going through.”

Thankful for the support she received and determined to stop young people in her area from following the deadly path taken by her dad, Sarah-Jane has now started to work with GEAAP. Through them, she’s educating young people in her area about the dangers of alcohol abuse and has helped to set up the project’s website.