The latest figures on drinking amongst pupils aged up to 15 have been released in Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use Among Young People in England - 2018.
The survey report presents information on the percentage of pupils who have ever smoked, tried alcohol or taken drugs and explores the attitudes of school children towards smoking and drinking, last released in 2017.
In 2018, 44% of pupils said they had ever had an alcoholic drink, the same as in 2016, and ranging from 14% of 11 year olds to 70% of 15 year olds. In 2018, 10% of pupils said they had drunk in the last week, also the same as in 2016.
Whilst not comparable with data prior to 2016 owing to a change in survey question, the figures suggest stabilisation in the trend following significant falls in children and young people's drinking since around 2013. The decline has been subject of ongoing attention and research, whilst older age group drinking patterns have remained stable or even increased.
In 2018, six per cent of all pupils said they usually drank alcohol at least once per week, increasing with age, from 1% of 11 year olds to 14% of 15-year-olds. As noted in an Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) thread summarising the headline results, the strongest associations with pupils having drunk alcohol in the last week were having parents who don't discourage drinking, followed by age (being older), and recent drug use.
Pupils who drank alcohol in the last week consumed an estimated (mean) average of 10.3 units that week whilst the median average was 5 units. A fifth (21%) of pupils who drank in the last week were estimated to have drunk more than 15 units, above the weekly low risk guidelines for adults.
In 2009 CMO guidance stated an alcohol-free childhood was best given risks including adolescent alcohol use on the brain. Health groups have however continued to campaign for further government action on the issue, arguing harm is still too high and children are still exposed to extensive advertising.
The Guardian reported 'Pupils who take drugs, drink and smoke more likely to be unhappy', whilst the Daily Mail headline stated 'Middle-class children are twice as likely to drink as those from poorer backgrounds and use drugs more often'.
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