Teen bingeing risks health - warning
Thursday January 28th, 2010
Many young teenagers are moving into "dangerous territory" in their drinking habits, experts said today as new figures showed the problem is worst in the north-east of England.
As many as 26 per cent of 11 to 15 year olds in that region may be drinking alcohol regularly - and 63 per cent have experienced it, according to the NHS Information Centre.
The regular drinkers in the north-east had drunk more than 17 units - equivalent to nearly three bottles of wine - during the week before they were questioned.
Unexpectedly,
the figures show teenagers in London as having the healthiest lives. They
have the lowest rates of smoking and drinking of any region and drink
the least alcohol.
About ten per cent of north-eastern 11 to 15 year olds were regular smokers - compared with five per cent in London, according to the figures published by the NHS Information Centre.
About 12 per cent of the Londoners were regular drinkers compared with 19 to 26 per cent elsewhere in England.
Alcohol expert Professor Ian Gilmore, chair of the UK Alcohol Health Alliance, said: "These figures indicate that for many young teenagers drinking has moved beyond experimentation and into far more dangerous territory. Regular consumption at these levels, especially when compressed into heavy sessions at the weekend puts boys and girls at considerable risk.
"At this age the adolescent mind is still developing, and for an unlucky minority heavy drinking so early will have profound and long lasting implications for their learning and problem solving skills."
He added: "Tougher penalties for those found to be selling alcohol to youngsters are welcome, but parents and families also have a responsibility to help their offspring make healthy choices."
And Professor John Britton, chair of the tobacco advisory group of the Royal College of Physicians of London, UK, said adults in London were setting a good example to their children by not smoking.
He said: "Research shows that children imitate behaviour in adults that they see as normal, regardless of perceived health risks. We clearly need to target the families, carers and friends who are role models to children to further denormalise smoking."
Tim Straughan, chief executive of the NHS Information Centre, said: "It is interesting to note that London has such comparatively low levels of drink, drug and alcohol use among its 11 to 15-year-olds.
"In contrast, youngsters in the North East are more likely than their peers anywhere else in the country to smoke and drink alcohol. However, they are the least likely to take cannabis."
Tags: Child Health | Drug and Alcohol Abuse | UK News
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