A qualitative research project examined the use of alcohol among children and young people. Under-age drinking was recognized as an 'issue' by respondents, who claimed to see visible evidence of harm (social nuisance, accidents): but responsibility for the issue was felt to rest with others.
Source: Define Research and Insight, Use of Alcohol Among Children and Young People: Final Report, Research Report RW043, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Date: 2008-Oct
The Chief Medical Officer published his annual report for 2007. He called for a new focus on teenage health. Although the majority of teenagers coped well, large numbers of teenagers took part in high-risk behaviours such as binge drinking, drug taking, and unsafe sex. He recommended that the legal blood alcohol level limit for drivers aged 17-20 should be reduced to zero. A government-backed project was announced which was designed to improve the care young people received from the health service.
Source: On the State of Public Health: 2007 Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer, Chief Medical Officer/Department of Health (08701 555455) | Press release 14 July 2008, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (020 7092 6000)
Links: Report | DH press release | BMA press release | PSI press release | Liberal Democrats press release (1) | Liberal Democrats press release (2) | RCPCH press release | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2) | BBC report
Date: 2008-Jul
The government published an action plan designed to stop young people drinking in public; help them make the right decisions about alcohol; and provide clear information to parents and young people about the risks of early drinking.
Source: Youth Alcohol Action Plan, Cm 7387, Department for Children, Schools and Families, TSO (0870 600 5522), Home Office and Department of Health
Links: Action plan | DCSF press release | Alcohol Concern press release | Turning Point press release | NCH press release | RCP press release | ACPO press release | Portman Group press release | Guardian report | BBC report | Telegraph report | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Jun
The government announced a package of measures to tackle alcohol-related crime and disorder involving children and young people. They included: a new crack-down by police to confiscate alcohol from young people under 18 drinking in public; extra powers for police, where necessary, to make it clear that it was unacceptable for children to drink in public; and wider use of parenting contracts where poor parenting was identified as an issue when alcohol was confiscated from under-age drinkers.
Source: Speech by Jacqui Smith MP (Home Secretary), 6 February 2008
Links: Text of speech | Home Office press release | Alcohol Concern press release | Liberal Democrats press release | Telegraph report | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Feb
A study examined how young people aged 11-19 in a large city and rural villages obtained cannabis. Nearly all the young people reported cannabis to be 'very easy' or 'fairly easy' to get; 79 per cent stated that they could obtain it in under an hour.
Source: Martin Duffy, Nadine Schafer, Ross Coomber, Lauren O'Connell and Paul Turnbull, Cannabis Supply and Young People: 'It's a social thing', York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report | JRF Findings | JRF press release
Date: 2008-Jan
A survey found that drinking to get drunk ('binge drinking') was increasingly prevalent among young people as young as 13, with serious consequences to health and crime. However, it also showed that young people thought that sport and art activities could help them control their drinking.
Source: Simon Talbot and Tim Crabbe, Binge Drinking: Young people's attitudes and behaviour, Crime Concern (01925 577122)
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Jan