Young people
Since 1990 drinking levels have trebled amongst 10-15 year olds - averaging 15 units a week.
Young people that decide to consume alcohol are drinking more and at an earlier age than ever before. However, alongside this, the number of young people that are deciding not to drink anything is steadily increasingly and is currently around 50% of all young people.
It is too easy for the media and policy makers to demonise young people and their social habits. However, research shows that young people's attitudes towards alcohol are shaped through their understanding and perception of adult drinking. Young people will naturally want to experiment with alcohol and they are regularly exposed to advertising and promotions which present a glamorised image of alcohol consumption.
Young people in the UK have some of the highest drinking levels and highest rates of drunkenness across the whole of Europe. In addition young people in the UK have greater positive expectations of drinking than most of their European peers.
In 2009 the Chief Medical Officer for England, Sir Liam Donaldson, produced guidelines for parents about young people's drinking. His recommendation, based on a review of international research, was that young people should have an alcohol free childhood; that children under the age of 15 should not drink. Over the age of 15 he suggested that children drink only once a week, within adult guidelines and with parental supervision. In addition he suggested that parental attitudes, positive parenting and open discussion about alcohol would help young people develop responsible and mature attitudes to alcohol.
Evidence also shows that tackling the cheap price of alcohol is a key measure which would reduce young people's drinking. The Chief Medical Officer concurs with this view and has called for the introduction of minimum pricing to better protect children.
Other measures which could reduce or help tackle young people's drinking include:
- Restriction on alcohol advertising including a watershed ban on alcohol adverts
- Targeted youth support and more diversionary activities, as opposed to measures which merely penalise young people who drink
- Alcohol education to form a core component within the curriculum so that young people understand the risks of excessive consumption and have increased awareness of units
- For all healthcare and youth workers to be fully trained to identify, provide brief advice and be able to refer young people to specialist services if necessary
Alcohol Concern has been funded by Comic Relief and the Tudor Trust to look further at measures that will tackle young people's drinking. For more information please visit the pages of our Youth Policy project.