UK teen binge drinking is serious and chronic
The latest findings on teenage drinking, smoking and drug use across Europe
have been released. The European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other
Drugs (ESPAD) is a study of 15 and 16 year old teenagers in 35 European
countries. It is by far the most detailed international study on this
subject.
ESPAD has been carried out previously in 1995, 1999 and 2003. The latest
ESPAD was carried out in 2007.
The countries that participated in ESPAD 2007 were Armenia, Austria,
Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland,
the Isle of Man, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands,
Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia,
Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. The UK sample included
2,179 teenagers (1004 boys and 1175 girls).
The latest ESPAD findings show that:
Alcohol:
-
Alcohol consumption at least once in the past year amongst European
teenagers (including those in the UK) had remained fairly stable since 1995
at about 80% of all students. The 2007 survey indicated a small fall in the
UK overall total from 91% to 88% in 2007. -
Once more UK teenagers reported high levels of binge drinking, intoxication
and alcohol-related individual, relationship, sexual and delinquency
problems. They ranked third highest (after Bulgaria and the Isle of Man) in
relation to such problems. -
The UK ranked 7th in relation to the percentage of teens who had ‘binged’
(consumed five or more drinks on at least one occasion) in the past 30 days.
A total of 54% of UK teenagers had reportedly done this. The highest levels
of ‘binge’ drinking were in the Isle of Man (61%), Denmark (60%), Malta
(57%), Portugal (56%), Estonia and Latvia (54%). -
In 2003 it was revealed that teen girls in the UK (as well as Ireland and
the Isle of Man) were more likely than boys to have binged in the previous
30 days. The 2007 survey shows that girls were more likely than boys to be
binge drinkers in the UK, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. -
UK teenagers ranked third highest (after Denmark and the Isle of Man) in
relation to self-reports of having been drunk in the past 30 days. A total
of 33% of UK teens reported such recent intoxication. -
Girls reported higher levels of such recent drunkenness than boys in nine
countries. These were the Isle of Man, the UK, Ireland, Spain, Finland,
Norway, Sweden, the Faroe Islands and Monaco. The fact that some teenage
girls are ‘binge’ drinking even more than boys suggests that in the UK and
elsewhere a profound social change has been taking place. It is clearly no
longer socially unacceptable for females to drink heavily or to become
intoxicated. This may reflect factors such as greater female social and
economic empowerment and changing social roles as well as the marketing
practices of the beverage alcohol industry. -
The percentages of UK teens who had binged at least three times in the past
30 days was almost the same as it had been in 2003. Altogether, 26% of boys
and 27% of girls reported having done this. -
Binge drinking amongst girls had increased across Europe since 1995. It had
remained relatively stable amongst boys since 1999. -
A striking feature of UK teenagers was that they were more likely than
those in nearly all other countries to report that they expected positive
consequences from drinking. Only Denmark and the Isle of Man scored higher
in this respect.
Tobacco:
-
Overall, cigarette use by European teenagers had fallen since 1999. In the
UK it had fallen since 1995. -
Lifetime prevalence of smoking across Europe ranged from 24% and 80%.
Smoking in the past 30 days ranged from 7% in Armenia to 45% in Austria.
Altogether 22% of UK teens (17% of boys and 25% of girls) had smoked in the
past 30 days.
Illicit drugs:
-
Lifetime illicit drug use amongst teenagers across Europe had risen between
1995 and 2003. It had fallen since then. In the UK it had fallen since 1995. -
The highest lifetime of any illicit drug was reported by teenagers in the
Czech Republic (46%), followed by Spain (38%), the Isle of Man (35%) and
Switzerland ( 34%). UK teens ranked 9th in this respect (29%). -
The highest lifetime use of cannabis was reported by teens in the Czech
Republic (45%), Spain (36%), the Isle of Man (34%) and Switzerland (33%). UK
teenagers ranked 7th in this respect (29%). A total of 11% of UK teenagers
reported having used cannabis in the past 30 days.
A summary is available here. (pdf 366kb)
and the full report is available here. (pdf 6mb)