Friends and family - not pubs - main source of alcohol for young people

Only 1% of 11 to 15-year-old pupils had consumed an alcoholic drink in a pub, bar or club in the four weeks prior to being surveyed, despite the fact 27% visited one of these venues during that time. Young people are also five times less likely to try to buy from a pub than they were nine years ago.

Moreover, less than half of pupils bought alcohol (44%), and those who did were most likely to source it from friends or relatives (23%), someone else (15%), an off-licence (14%), or a shop or supermarket (11%).

The findings were released today in a report from the DoH titled: Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use Among Young People in England in 2012. The Health & Social Care Information Centre, which conducted the research, surveyed more than 7,500 pupils from 254 schools throughout England in the autumn term of 2012.

The survey also shows that 33% of pupils obtained alcohol without buying it, with most being given it by parents or guardians (19%) or friends (19%). 13% asked someone else to buy it for them and the same number took alcohol from home with permission.

Furthermore, most pupils who drank were most likely to do so in their own home (54%), someone else’s home (48%) or at parties with friends (47%). These figures have steadily increased since 2006 while there has been a drop in the proportion of young people drinking outside.

The number of pupils who said they had drunk alcohol at least once has also fallen to 43%, compared to 57% in 2011 and 61% in 2003 when it was last at its peak. Furthermore 90% of pupils surveyed had not consumed alcohol in the last week – up from 75% in 2003.

Promising progress​

Commenting on the results a spokesperson at the Portman Group said: “It is encouraging to see that the number of children drinking continues to fall and that fewer children consider it acceptable to drink. However, there are still those who continue to drink, and do so to harmful levels.

“The industry will continue to work in partnership with both local and central government to ensure targeted and effective measures are in place to deal with under-age sales and binge-drinking where they are most prevalent.”

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) also welcomed the figures that show there has been progress on tackling underage drinking.

Chief executive Miles Beale said: “The number of young people that have never drunk alcohol has increased and those that do drink are drinking less frequently.  

“The combination of education and responsible drinking messages is reaching young people. That is why our members continue to invest millions of pounds in campaigns to change attitudes to alcohol misuse.”