Child drinkers
Alcohol Concern, the national agency on alcohol misuse, has drawn attention to a steep rise in alcohol consumption by children, in a report entitled Glass Half Empty?
Between 2000-2006 the alcohol consumed by 11-13-year-old girls increased by 82.6%, and by 11-13-year-old boys by 43.4%.
The report points out that binge drinking by children can have serious consequences for brain function. It significantly raises the risk of alcohol dependency in later life and diminishes life chances.
Glass Half Empty? proposes a number of measures. These include: making it illegal to provide alcohol to anyone under the age of 15; enforcing the law concerning under-age purchase; ending alcohol advertising on TV before the watershed; ending alcohol advertising in cinemas for films of ratings below 18; and making alcohol education part of the national curriculum.
