Drinks industry welcomes falling alcohol consumption in young people

Published: 26 July, 2012

The drinks trade has welcomed NHS statistics showing alcohol consumption in young people has fallen.

Data released by the NHS Information Centre shows that the proportion of young people aged between 11 and 15 who have never drunk alcohol has fallen from 39% in 2003 to 55% in 2011.
What's more, those who drank alcohol in the last week has fallen from 26% in 2001 to 12% in 2011.
Information was obtained from 6,519 pupils in 219 schools throughout England in the autumn term of 2011.

WSTA chief executive Miles Beale said: "The continued decline in underage drinking is particularly welcome news. The increase in the number of young people who have never drunk alcohol and the fact that those who do drink appear to be drinking less, suggests that messages about the risks of underage consumption are being heard. This is why the industry continues to pour resources into initiatives to change attitudes to alcohol."

Diageo GB's country director Andrew Cowan, said: "It is encouraging to see that yet again the proportion of young people who drink is falling and that those who have never had a drink has risen by 40% since 2001. The statistics go to show that profound shifts are taking place in this generation's attitude towards alcohol. It shows the good results that can occur when the government, schools, parents, Drinkaware, industry funded programmes and young people themselves all work together to tackle an important issue."

Drinkaware's head of campaigns and communication, Siobhan McCann, said that the 'Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England, 2011' report showed an "ongoing downward trend in the consumption of alcohol among 11-15 year olds in England". She described the figures as "encouraging".

"The number of children who have ever had a drink has declined steadily from 61% in 2001 to 45% in 2011. The percentage who said they have drunk alcohol in the last week has more than halved from 26% in 2001 to 12% in 2011. While the decline in the number of children trying alcohol is good news, the report still shows there are 360,000 young people who reported drinking alcohol in the last week alone.

"Drinkaware's own research shows parents are the biggest suppliers of alcohol to young people aged 10-17 and also the biggest influence on their child's relationship with drink. Today's report provides even more incentive to parents to talk openly about alcohol with their kids and delay the age of their child's first drink for as long as possible."

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