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In support of the recently launched Youth Alcohol Action Plan, a strategy launched to tackle the problems of youth drinking, the government also released statistics which highlight how a young persons relationship with alcohol has changed over recent years. These statistics include:

• The proportion of 11-15 year olds who drink regularly is falling - from 28 per cent in 2001 to 21 per cent in 2006.

• At the same time the average weekly consumption among young people who do drink has increased, doubling the number of units consumed by young people in that age group between 1999 and 2000.

• One recent study found 47 per cent of 15-year-old girls had been drunk at least once in the past four weeks compared to 37 per cent of boys.

• Latest evidence on drinking by 11-15-year-olds suggests 35 per cent of those who had drunk alcohol in the previous four weeks had done so deliberately to get drunk.

• 56 per cent of 15-16-year-olds report having drunk heavily in the last 30 days and 30 per cent report having done this three or more times in the past 30 days.

• There is a trend towards increased unsupervised drinking by young people in open-air public places – the proportion of 11-15 year olds who drink on the street, in a park or somewhere else outside has increased from 21 per cent in 1999 to 31 per cent in 2006.

• Over half the people who said they had witnessed drunken or rowdy behaviour claimed it was due to young people drinking in public places.

• Alcohol is increasingly obtained from the home - of the 11-15-year-olds who drank 14 or more units in the previous week 48 per cent claim to have been given alcohol directly by their parents whilst 42 per cent claim to have taken it without their parents consent.

Article published on 06/06/2008 by DryOutNow.com

DryOutNow.com provides highly practical help for people with alcohol problems, their friends and relatives. DryOutNow.com also provides free resources for healthcare professionals such as medical information and alcohol treatment guidelines.

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