ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AMONGST CHILDREN REACHES NEW HEIGHTS

The amount of alcohol consumed by girls aged between 11-13 has increased by 82.6% between 2000-2006, while for boys the number has gone up by 43.4% during the same period. These startling findings, which are just one of a series of worrying developments are published in a new report from Alcohol Concern entitled Glass Half Empty?

ALCOHOL CONCERN PRESS RELEASE


For immediate release

Friday 27th April 2007


ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AMONGST CHILDREN REACHES NEW HEIGHTS




The amount of alcohol consumed by girls aged between 11-13 has increased by 82.6% between 2000-2006, while for boys the number has gone up by 43.4% during the same period. These startling findings, which are just one of a series of worrying developments are published in a new report from Alcohol Concern entitled Glass Half Empty? The report offers a wide-ranging assessment of the impact of the Governments Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy.

Srabani Sen, Chief Executive of Alcohol Concern, says:
Binge drinking by children can have serious consequences for brain function, significantly raises the risk of alcohol dependency in later life and diminishes their life chances. Our report shows that we are simply not doing enough to protect our children from alcohol.

Alcohol Concern recommends limiting the access children and teenagers have to alcohol and challenging more aggressively the drivers of underage consumption:

Make it illegal to provide alcohol to anyone under the age of 15. Currently it is legal to provide children as young as five with alcohol in a private home. Raising the age limit to fifteen would send a stronger message to parents of the risks associated with letting very young people consume alcohol.

Enforce the law around underage purchase. Data from the most recent Home Office AMEC (test purchasing) campaign showed that 29% of underage participants were able to buy alcohol in pubs and bars, while 21% did so successfully in off-licenses. Local police forces and trading standard units must devote more resources to identifying and prosecuting those outlets in breach of the law.

End advertising of alcohol on TV before the watershed and in cinemas when films with ratings below 18 are shown. The European Court of Justice has already refuted advertisers arguments and ruled, It is in fact undeniable that advertising acts as an encouragement to consumption. Alcohol Concerns report shows that supermarket alcohol promotions were shown twice as often before 9pm (which is when children are more likely to be watching TV) compared to after. Furthermore, 82% of films shown in cinemas featuring alcohol adverts have ratings of 15 or below.

Make alcohol education part of the National Curriculum. Inappropriate use of alcohol by young people has been shown to have an impact on school performance. Alcohol is a factor in many school exclusions and suspensions. Around 14% of pupils excluded from school were suspended for drinking alcohol at school. The PSHE components of the National Curriculum should provide an important opportunity for conveying to young people the risks associated with bingeing.

Copies of Glass Half-Empty (under embargo) are available from the Alcohol Concern website.

ENDS
For enquiries/interview requests please contact Frank Soodeen at the Alcohol Concern press office

email: franks@alcoholconcern.org.uk
Notes to editors

Alcohol Concern is the national agency working to reduce alcohol related harm in society. We work to reduce the incidence and costs of alcohol-related harm and to increase the range and quality of alcohol services available to problem drinkers and their families.

Glass Half Empty? summarises Alcohol Concerns vision of how society can achieve a more healthy relationship with alcohol as Government reviews its Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy and prepares for the next stage. It sets out: a review of the Strategy heretofore; the principles which should underlie the new strategy; recommended aims and objectives to achieve lasting change; and Alcohol Concerns recommended solutions.

Date: 27 April 2007