The latest report from the Health & Social Care Information Centre shows the number of pupils who have smoked, tried alcohol or taken drugs, suggesting a continued decline in drinking since 2003. Nonetheless young people's drinking reportedly remains above the European average for prevalence and likelihood of binge drinking.
The report gives results from an annual survey of secondary school pupils mostly aged 11-15 in England, showing 9% of pupils had drunk alcohol in the last week in 2013, compared to 25% in 2003.
Key findings on pupil's drinking from the summary report include:
- In 2013, around two-fifths of pupils (39%) had drunk alcohol at least once. Boys and girls were equally likely to have done so.
- The proportion of pupils who have had an alcoholic drink increased with age from 6% of 11 year olds to 72% of 15 year olds.
- Less than one in ten pupils (9%) had drunk alcohol in the last week. This continues the downward trend since 2003, when a quarter (25%) of pupils had drunk alcohol in the last week.
- Older pupils were more likely to have drunk alcohol in the last week: the proportion increased from 1% of 11 year olds to 22% of 15 year olds.
- Pupils who had drunk in the last week had drunk an average (mean) of 8.2 units, less than in recent years.
- Boys and girls drank similar amounts. Most pupils who had drunk alcohol in the last week had consumed more than one type of drink.
- Beer, lager and cider accounted for the majority of the alcohol boys drank (63%). Among girls, less than a third of the alcohol was drunk as beer, lager or cider (30%). The remainder was likely to be in the form of wine (25%), spirits (22%), or alcopops (20%).
However the full report highlights higher reported consumption and binge drinking than most European countries according to ESPAD data:
'Although the proportion of young people in England who drink is steadily reducing, it remains well above the European average. Furthermore, the UK continues to rank amongst countries with the highest levels of alcohol consumption by those who do drink, and British children are more likely to have ‘binge drunk’ or been drunk compared to children in most other European countries.'
The report suggests that median consumption is the best consumption indicator for those pupils who drank in the last week. For 11 to 13 year olds who had drank in the last week the median was 2.5 units, 5.0 units for 14 year olds and 6.5 units for 15 year olds. 18% of pupils who drank in the last week had consumed 15 or more units of alcohol; concerning since drinking among this age group is most likely to fall on one occasion in the last week (74%).
The issue of alcohol and young people remains a high profile policy area. Last year Drinkaware warned against parents being drunk in front of their children and Alcohol Concern and others have been campaigning for tougher regulation on alcohol advertising. See here for a Joseph Rowntree Foundation report Young People, Alcohol and Influences.
The Crime Survey for England and Wales, also released last week, showed adult's drug use appeared to be back on the rise following a longer downward trend, but the rise included the use cocaine and ecstasy among young people aged between 16 and 24. See a Guardian Datablog analysis here.
Further alcohol-related reports and guidance related to children and young people can be found here on the Alcohol Learning Centre, including the CMO guidance. See here a post on IBA for young people.
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