The average child in Bermuda has their first drink at the age of ten.

So stated CADA director Anthony Santucci in a talk to Hamilton Rotarians this week.

According to Mr. Santucci, the earlier a person starts drinking the more likely they are to become dependent on alcohol.

CADA, he said, has been working diligently to prevent Bermuda's youngsters from falling into that trap

"You may be shocked to learn that the average age of first use of alcohol in Bermuda was shown to be ten-and-a-half years old," he stated. "We have to find ways to increase the age children are first introduced to alcohol because the younger a person is when they begin drinking alcohol they are more likely to develop alcohol dependence, alcoholism.

"We also know that if a child is introduced to alcohol before the age of 15 they are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who wait until the age of 21."

In 2008, CADA conducted an eight-week life skills programme undertaken by nearly 100 of Bermuda's children between the ages of six and 11 years, the director stated.

He said the programme's objective was to increase the social, emotional and life skills of children and develop their character if successful, such efforts would reduce the likelihood of children using alcohol or drugs.

"Research shows that of the children who do consume alcohol, 65 percent say they get it from family members or friends," he said. "Personal responsibility dictates that we don't allow children to drink from our glasses that contain alcohol. Nor should we deliberately give them a sip of beer. Beer is an alcoholic beverage."

And in hopes of reducing alcohol abuse among the general public, Mr. Santucci said CADA is looking at how to help persons better understand personal responsibility when it comes to drinking and driving and personal responsibility when it comes to reducing underage drinking.

He said he hoped CADA's new look would make their efforts more effective however he urged parents and adults to educate children about alcohol use and abuse, and to practise responsible drinking around them.

"Personal responsibility dictates that we talk to our children about alcohol use and abuse and that we model appropriate positive alcohol consumption in front of our children by not getting drunk. Remember, they will grow up to do what they have seen us do.

"Personal responsibility also dictates that we don't keep alcohol in the house, or if we do, we keep it well out of reach. If you must keep alcohol in your house, keep it in a place that is high up and out of easy reach to your child, or even better lock away the alcohol," he said.

Last week CADA held its annual Proclamation Ceremony on the steps of City Hall where coffins were laid out representing alcohol-related road fatalities in 2008.

Mr. Santucci said: "In the past we have had such props as badly damaged cars in front of the podium to reinforce the end result of drinking and driving. This year we went one step further and had caskets lain out, representing 70 percent of the 17 people who died on our roads last year. Statistics show that in 70 percent of all road fatalities, alcohol and/or drugs were involved.

"When we came up with the idea of the caskets there were people we talked to who were very uncomfortable with the idea. That was our objective. We have to be uncomfortable with the idea that our citizens are dying in unprecedented numbers on our roads."

He added: "I have said in the past, if 17 people died at one time in Bermuda there would be a public outcry so long and loud we would be forced as a nation to confront the behaviour. I believe because these accidents happen over the period of 12 months, we are stunned and shocked until the next one occurs."

Mr. Santucci highlighted the statistics of road deaths in Bermuda between the two-year span of 2006 and 2008 an alarming 42 people. And there have been five already this year.

"Every day we must make a decision as a community, as a family and as an individual to help find ways to put an end to these senseless deaths.

"We cannot accept 22 deaths in 16 months with any level of comfort. It has to make us uncomfortable enough to continue to look for alternatives and through this discomfort we can come together and say enough is enough and do something concrete. We must look at our own behaviour and in this process we each must make a commitment to not drink and drive ever," he told Rotarians.

In 2008, CADA trained 201 bartenders, alcohol servers and managers from 61 establishments around the Island through its TIPS programme. This year it has trained 102 people, with more training sessions planned.

"Our mission is to train every single person responsible for selling and serving alcohol in Bermuda. We know this programme gives those who have been through the training the tools to help patrons who have been drinking too much, teaches the alcohol servers how to cut people off and how to help them get home safely.

"Over the next few months you will hear and see advertising as we begin to educate the general public about the TIPS programme so they will know what to expect when they go into establishments whose staff have been TIPS trained," he said.

One initiative soon to be implemented by TIPS, will see servers asking would-be drinkers for ID to prove they are of legal age 18.

"If they don't have valid identification they will not be served alcohol," Mr. Santucci said, adding that the free taxi service CADA offers to drinkers on Friday nights continues to thrive.

"Since its inception in May 2007, 'Let Us Drive' has taken almost 2,500 people home.

"Last year the service provided free transportation to almost 1,500 people and for the first three months of this year almost 500 passengers have gotten home safely."