Statistical Information About Young People & Alcohol Abuse in the UK
The misuse of alcohol by young people in the UK can mean the illegal consumption of alcoholic drinks by youths under 18 or young people between 18 and 24 consuming more alcohol than the UK Government's recommended limits or 'binge drinking.'
The legal age for drinking in the UK is 18. Government guidelines recommend that adult men should not regularly exceed three or four units a day and women should consume not more than two or three units. A unit represents 10ml of pure alcohol and is equivalent to roughly 300ml of normal strength beer.
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Alcohol Misuse in 11 to 15 Year-olds
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While the number of 11 to 15 year-olds who have never consumed alcohol has risen, the amount that regular young drinkers consume has increased in recent years as well. The proportion of 11 to 15 year-olds who have never had alcohol grew from 39 percent to 48 percent between 2003 and 2008. Of those who do drink, average weekly consumption has nearly tripled since 1990. Young teens averaged 5.3 units a week in 1990. In 2008, average weekly intake was 14.6 units. That's equivalent to one and half bottles of wine.
What Are Young People Drinking?
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Boys drink comparatively more than girls in the 11 to 15 age group. Boys average 16 units and girls 13.1 units. The most popular drinks for 11 to 15 years old boys are beer or cider, which were consumed by 88 percent of young drinkers. Sixty percent of boys drank spirits and 53 percent swigged alcopops (fizzy, sweet alcoholic beverages). Girls drink less beer and cider (55 percent), but 69 percent drink alcopops and 73 percent drink spirits.
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Where Do Young People Get Alcohol?
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It is difficult for 11 to 15 year-olds to buy alcohol. Only 6 percent drink alcohols in bars or pubs and only 11 percent obtain it from supermarkets. Older teenagers are more successful than younger ones: 89 percent of 15 year-olds have successfully purchased and consumed alcohol in pubs. Young people typically get their alcohol from adults: 22 percent are given it by parents and 18 percent get adults to buy it for them.
Affects of Alcohol Misuse
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Alcohol misuse in young people is a key indicator of other anti-social or unhealthy behaviors. Those who regularly misuse alcohol are also more likely to use illegal narcotics and smoke tobacco. They are also more likely to under perform at school. Regular teenage drinkers are more likely to play truant or suffer expulsion from school too.
Alcohol Related Deaths in Young People
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Thankfully deaths related to alcohol consumption are still relatively rare, but they have been increasing in recent decades. Between 1991 and 2006, there was a 57 percent increase in alcohol related deaths in the 16 to 34 year-old age group. However, consuming alcohol can lead to risky behavior. Accidents, suicides and violence are still significant causes of death amongst young people and alcohol is often involved in such incidents.
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- Photo Credit beer in beer-mug image by Witold Krasowski from Fotolia.com
