Smashed Live delivers vital alcohol education to thousands of Lancashire students

Collingwood Learning’s award-winning alcohol education programme, Smashed Live, supported by Diageo, this week will give secondary school students across Lancashire a crucial lesson on the risks of underage drinking.

The Smashed Live team is visiting schools across Lancashire from Monday 19th to Friday 23rd January, bringing its powerful blend of live theatre and interactive learning to ten schools, reaching over 2,600 Year 7 and 8 students.

placeholder image — Smashed in Lancashire

Now in its 21st year, ‘Smashed’ has delivered educational performances to students in 38 countries around the world. By delivering a combination of live theatre performances, interactive workshops and digital experiences, the project educates young people about the dangers of alcohol use.

The programme offers young people not only the facts and risks of alcohol use, but also the techniques on how to resist peer pressure and make more informed choices. It is built on widespread consultation with teens and educators, ensuring emotional resonance through realistic and relatable characters and their stories.

Teachers consistently value the programme’s contribution to the PSHE curriculum, with Smashed having a proven positive impact. The latest impact assessment report indicates:

100% said students responded positively.
97% said it increased knowledge of the dangers of underage drinking.
97% confirmed it supported their school’s alcohol education delivery.

These results reflect the wider global impact of Smashed, with evaluation showing 87% of young people are less likely to drink underage after taking part, and 98% of teachers believing such programmes are vital in schools.

Smashed has reached more than 7.5 million young people globally, with Great Britain on track to surpass 600,000 students educated since the programme’s launch. This year, Smashed was honoured with the Global Drinks Intel ESG Award 2025 for Best Responsible Drinking/Alcohol Harm Reduction Initiative, recognising its outstanding contribution to responsible drinking education worldwide.

Collingwood Learning are proud that Smashed is supported by Diageo, part of their global commitment to tackling underage drinking.

Ian Smith, Corporate Relations Director at Diageo GB, said:

“I am so proud that ‘Smashed’ continues to go from strength to strength in Great Britain, a testament to the incredible impact of the programme worldwide which consistently delivers a fantastic learning experience for young people. At Diageo, we are deeply committed to tackling underage drinking and we hope that the students we are visiting across Lancashire will not only gain valuable insights from the performances, but also leave better informed and prepared to make responsible choices about alcohol.”

Chris Simes, Managing Director of Collingwood Learning, said:

“Smashed Live continues to make a meaningful difference in classrooms across the UK and around the world. We’re proud to return to Lancashire to reach even more young people with such an engaging, interactive, and memorable programme. By combining live performance, discussion, and digital learning, we’re helping students build the confidence and skills they need to make safe, informed choices.”

Students who do not experience the live theatre event can still access the Smashed learning experience through Smashed Online, a free, interactive digital version of the programme available to schools and students via website: https://online.smashedproject.org/gb/

Lancashire Tour Schedule

Monday 19th January