Research carried out by Communities that Care, on behalf of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, found that a significant number of young people partake in binge drinking even though they are well below the age at which they can legally buy alcohol.

The researchers surveyed more than 14,000 students aged between 11 and 16 in England, Scotland and Wales to assess levels of drug and alcohol misuse, as well as involvement in crime and other antisocial activities.

They found that a quarter of 13- and 14-year-old students in Year 9 admitted to having recently drunk five or more alcoholic drinks in a single session, rising to more than half of 15- and 16-year-old Year 11 students.

Frequent alcohol use was reported by even the youngest children, with 9 per cent of boys and 5 per cent of girls aged 11 and 12 in Year 7 describing themselves as “regular drinkers”.

The report states that underage alcohol misuse, particularly in the form of binge drinking, stands out as an area that has been neglected but should no longer be ignored by parents and policymakers.

The findings for alcohol were in marked contrast with those for tobacco use. Most students in Years 7 and 8 said they had never smoked a cigarette, and nearly half of the boys and more than one-third of the girls in Year 11 said the same.

The report also suggests that violence is part of life for a “significant minority” of young people, especially boys. Nearly one in four boys aged between 15 and 16 in Year 11 said they had carried a knife or some other weapon during the past year. One in five said they had attacked someone with the intention of seriously hurting them.

The researchers also questioned the youngsters about drug use and found that cannabis was the illegal drug the students admitted to using the most, with 30 per cent of Year 11 boys and 25 per cent of Year 11 girls saying they had used the drug at least once. Five per cent of girls and 9 per cent of boys had used the drug three or more times in the past month.

Use of more harmful illegal drugs was much less common. Five per cent of boys and 4 per cent of girls in Year 11 admitted to having ever used Ecstasy, while use of amphetamines, cocaine and heroin was lower still.

The researchers highlighted solvent abuse as more worrying in its potential for immediate harm. Around 8.5 per cent of boys and more than 10 per cent of girls in Years 9 and 10 said they had used solvents at least once, although few described themselves as frequent users.

The report said that, to address alcohol and drug misuse and other antisocial behavior, underlying risk factors such as parental supervision and discipline, aggressive behavior at school and community neglect needed to be tackled.

Barry Anderson, chief executive of Communities that Care and co-author of the report, said the majority of young people led lives that were not characterized by law-breaking and antisocial behavior. But he added, “We certainly cannot be complacent about the substantial minorities who admit at least some involvement in criminal acts.

“The survey findings on violence, and the neglected issue of under-age alcohol consumption, are particularly worrying given current concerns over street crime.”

© Health Media Ltd 2002
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