Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Teen and sober
Youngsters’ boozing is down more in UK than anywhere else in Europe
TEENAGE boozing has fallen more in the UK than any other nation in Europe in what was yesterday hailed as a major “cultural shift”.
A World Health Organisation study found 50.3% of boys in England drank weekly in 2002 compared with just 10% in 2014.
Wales had the second largest drop, from 47.6% to 11.8%. And more than 43.1% of girls in England boozed weekly in 2002, falling to 8.9% in 2014.
This was the largest drop for girls across the 36 nations, followed by a plunge from 41.1% to 10.7% in Scotland.
The report, which looked at drinking among 15-year-olds, was led by the University of St Andrews. Lead editor Dr Jo Inchley said: “Overall reductions have been greatest in countries that traditionally had higher prevalence, such as Britain and the Nordic region.
“This makes it clear change is possible, however more should be done to ensure adolescents are effectively protected from the harms caused by alcohol.”
The largest drops in beer drinking were among boys in Wales, Denmark and England. Spirit use was down most in England, Scotland and Denmark.
Karen Tyrell, director at charity Addaction, said: “In the UK, we often talk about changing our relationship with alcohol. Our young people are way ahead of us. We’re seeing a cultural shift.”
Britain and Ireland had the largest drops in teen drinking since 2002 and the highest prevalences are now in Central-eastern Europe and the southern Mediterranean.
A separate study out today found the number of 11 to 15-year-olds who have ever had a full alcoholic drink fell from 61% in 2002 to 44% in 2016 in England.
The Sheffield University research also showed the proportion of 16 to 17-yearolds who had binge-drank within the past week fell from 30% to 6%.
ON CHANGING DRINK ATTITUDES