Young are drunk and high

Teenagers in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Denmark are the heaviest drinkers, smokers and drug-takers in Europe. These findings have just been published in the 1999 ESPAD (European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs) Report. The same countries are also the ones in which drinking has increased most among the sampled population during the period since the last report .

At a time when the topic of methods of marketing alcohol to young people by the industry is coming to the forefront of public debate, it is significant that UK teenagers are the highest consumers of alcopops in Europe. Although "less than half of the students had any spirits on the last drinking occasion", in the UK and Ireland the large majority of these were girls. On the other hand, if every beverage is taken into consideration, boys appear to drink about 50 per cent more than girls in the ESPAD countries. The largest proportions of teenagers reporting beer consumption were in the Nordic countries, the UK, and Ireland.

A great deal is heard at the moment about the increase in binge drinking among the young and this is confirmed by the ESPAD report: "In half of the countries there is an increase in the proportion of students who report to have had at least 5 drinks in a row...on at least 3 occasions during the last 30 days ...The most pronounced increases are found in Poland and Slovenia. Other countries with increasing figures include Denmark, Iceland, Ireland, Malta, Norway, and the United Kingdom." .

As to the proportion of students who have used alcohol during the last twelve months, at least 90 per cent reported this in seven countries, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Lithuania, Malta, the Slovak Republic, and the United Kingdom.

The report says that in "the large majority of countries more than half the students in this age group have been drunk at least once in a lifetime". The largest proportions were found in Denmark (89 per cent), Finland, Greenland, the United Kingdom (76 per cent), and the Czech republic (75 per cent).

Denmark (41 per cent), the UK (29 per cent), and Ireland (25 per cent) head the rankings of those who have been drunk at least twenty times in a lifetime.

The students were asked where they usually consumed alcohol. In about half the countries "at someone else's home" scored the highest. The second most popular venue was at one's own home. As far as the consequences of their alcohol consumption were concerned, it is significant that those who imagined that these would be positive were found in those countries where consumption was highest. .

At a time when the topic of methods of marketing alcohol to young people by the industry is coming to the forefront of public debate, it is significant that UK teenagers are the highest consumers of alcopops in Europe. Although "less than half of the students had any spirits on the last drinking occasion", in the UK and Ireland the large majority of these were girls. On the other hand, if every beverage is taken into consideration, boys appear to drink about 50 per cent more than girls in the ESPAD countries. The largest proportions of teenagers reporting beer consumption were in the Nordic countries, the UK, and Ireland.

A great deal is heard at the moment about the increase in binge drinking among the young and this is confirmed by the ESPAD report: "In half of the countries there is an increase in the proportion of students who report to have had at least 5 drinks in a row...on at least 3 occasions during the last 30 days ...The most pronounced increases are found in Poland and Slovenia. Other countries with increasing figures include Denmark, Iceland, Ireland, Malta, Norway, and the United Kingdom." .

As to the proportion of students who have used alcohol during the last twelve months, at least 90 per cent reported this in seven countries, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Lithuania, Malta, the Slovak Republic, and the United Kingdom.

The report says that in "the large majority of countries more than half the students in this age group have been drunk at least once in a lifetime". The largest proportions were found in Denmark (89 per cent), Finland, Greenland, the United Kingdom (76 per cent), and the Czech republic (75 per cent).

Denmark (41 per cent), the UK (29 per cent), and Ireland (25 per cent) head the rankings of those who have been drunk at least twenty times in a lifetime.

The students were asked where they usually consumed alcohol. In about half the countries "at someone else's home" scored the highest. The second most popular venue was at one's own home. As far as the consequences of their alcohol consumption were concerned, it is significant that those who imagined that these would be positive were found in those countries where consumption was highest.