Right time, right place: alcohol-harm reduction strategies with children and young people
Alcohol consumption by under-18s remains a significant problem for the UK and whilst government policy has often focused on how to tackle alcohol as a public nuisance issue insufficient attention has been paid to the health problems that young people face.
Underage drinkers consume approximately the equivalent of 6.9 million pints of beer or 1.7 million bottles of wine each week with an estimated 630,000 11- to 17-year-olds drinking twice or more per week.
Young people who consume alcohol are damaging their health at greater levels than ever and the cost to health and ambulance services due to underage alcohol consumption is in the region of £19 million per annum. The costs of intervention are however far less than the costs of treating the health consequences of alcohol misuse by children and young people. As well as making economic sense, tackling youth drinking must surely be one of the ways to reduce levels of risky, binge and dependent drinking in the future.
This new report calls for earlier identification of young people engaged in 'risky' drinking such as young people attending A&E or getting into trouble with the police for alcohol, so that they can access information, advice and support.
