A report by the World Health Organization suggests that England has some of the highest rates of children drinking in Europe.
England topped the list for 11 and 13 year olds who had ‘ever drunk alcohol’, although it was only 12th for 15 year olds who had.
England was 5th, 3rd, and 14th for 11, 13, and 15 year olds who had ‘drunk alcohol in the last 30 days’.
Dr Katherine Severi said that although youth drinking was in decline:
The UK is one of the heaviest drinking nations in the world, and it’s clearly concerning that England has some of the highest rates of children drinking in Europe. People tend to have this perception that introducing children to moderate drinking is a good way of teaching them safer drinking habits. This is untrue. The earlier a child drinks, the more likely they are to develop problems with alcohol in later life.
The data show that children from more affluent households are more likely to drink. As Dr Severi told The Times:
Evidence shows that parental drinking practices and how parents talk about alcohol are reflected in children’s attitudes towards alcohol and drinking. A pro-alcohol environment leads to the normalisation of drinking and ‘cultural blindness’ to alcohol harm among children. That’s true even with moderate parental drinking.
And as more affluent people tend to drink more, this normalisation will be especially true, which is likely why we see higher rates of drinking in children from affluent families. We know that children mirror the behaviour of the adults around them, so it’s important that parents who drink any amount are aware of how it could affect their child in later life.
Dr Hans Kluge, the WHO regional director for Europe, said:
The widespread use of harmful substances among children in many countries across the European Region – and beyond – is a serious public health threat.
Considering that the brain continues to develop well into a person’s mid-20s, adolescents need to be protected from the effects of toxic and dangerous products. Unfortunately, children today are constantly exposed to targeted online marketing of harmful products, while popular culture, like video games, normalises them.
The Telegraph also highlights alcohol industry education in schools, stating that:
Meanwhile, public health experts have called for a ban on the alcohol industry educating Britain’s youngsters on “drinking responsibly”. Education programmes targeted at schoolchildren as young as nine are being funded by major alcohol producers such as Diageo, according to a BMJ investigation. Drinkaware, a charity funded by the industry, has a “freshers’ week survival guide” which tells students to load up on carbs before they go out and to drink water, but experts say they are downplaying the harms of drinking alcohol and being “selective” about the advice. The charity told the BMJ it followed guidance of the Chief Medical Officer and did not tell people to stop drinking “as it is considered a normal activity”.