British underage drinkers: Britain tops the charts for alcohol consumption by children and fourth for vaping, major World Health Organization report shows
Children in England are more likely to drink alcohol than children in any other country, a damning report has found.
The country’s children are also plagued by alarmingly high rates of vaping and smoking, the World Health Organization warns.
It says more must be done to protect young people from these ‘toxic and dangerous products’ and describes their use at such a young age as a ‘serious threat to public health’.
In one of the largest studies of its kind, WHO examined data from 280,000 children aged 11, 13 and 15 from 44 countries, who were asked about their use of cigarettes, vaping and alcohol.
It showed that girls in England tend to drink, smoke and vape more than boys, while the country is top of the charts worldwide for alcohol consumption by children.
More than one in three 11-year-olds in England (35 percent of boys and 34 percent of girls) have tried booze, which is more than in any other country and more than double the global average of 15 percent.
By the time children reach the age of 13, this figure has risen to more than half in England (50 percent of boys and 57 percent of girls), which is still the highest in the world and comparable to an international average of one. in three (33 percent).
Girls in England continue to lead the way over boys at age 15, although five other countries rank higher on this score.
Furthermore, boys and girls in England aged 11, 13 and 15 are more likely than the global average to have been drunk at least twice, meaning many do not drink in moderation.
The drunkenness rate among 15-year-old girls in England is over one in three (34 percent).
Sir Ian Gilmore, chairman of the UK Alcohol Health Alliance, said: ‘These findings are extremely worrying, especially the levels of 11- and 13-year-olds reporting drinking alcohol.
‘This goes directly against the Chief Medical Officer’s guidance, which says that an alcohol-free childhood is the healthiest option, and that children should not drink alcohol before the age of 15.
‘The sooner someone starts drinking alcohol, the greater the chance that they will develop alcohol-related problems later in life.
‘Drinking can also disrupt the physical and educational development of young people.’
Sir Ian blamed exposure to alcohol advertising for encouraging drinking at a young age and said it is ‘shocking’ that children in Britain are more familiar with certain brands of beer than biscuits, crisps and ice cream.
He added: ‘Government advertising regulations have been introduced for other harmful products such as cigarettes and junk food, we urgently need a similar approach for alcohol.’
The WHO study covered young people living in Europe, Central Asia and Canada, and included more than 4,000 children in England.
It found that 40 percent of girls and 26 percent of boys in England had vaped by the age of 15, compared to a global average of 33 percent and 31 percent respectively.
About 30 percent of girls in England – almost one in three – have vaped in the last 30 days.
In England, more girls than boys aged 15 have tried smoking (28 percent versus 16 percent) and the rate among girls is higher than the global average (26 percent).
Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said the widespread use of harmful substances among children “poses a serious threat to public health.”
He added: ‘Given that the brain continues to develop well into our twenties, adolescents need to be protected from the effects of toxic and dangerous products.
“Unfortunately, children today are constantly exposed to targeted online marketing of harmful products, while popular culture, such as video games, normalizes it.”
Dr. Jo Inchley, international coordinator of the study, called Health Behavior In School-Aged Children, and from the University of Glasgow, said it is “really quite worrying” that “England tops the charts for ages 11 and 13.” year-olds when it comes to alcohol consumption’.
She added: ‘We see very high levels of early introduction to drinking among boys and girls in England.
‘I don’t know exactly why that is much higher than in other countries, but it is certainly something we need to look at and do something about.’
Anne Longfield, chair of the Center for Young Lives and former children’s commissioner, said: ‘We should be concerned about the rising number of young people taking up vaping, our position at the top of the league table for child drinking, and the impact on health, development and the additional pressure this will place on the NHS.
“The Wild West era of vaping companies being allowed to do whatever they want must end.”
A government spokesperson said: ‘The health advice is clear: smoking, vaping and underage drinking can harm young people and their development.
‘That is why there are age restrictions on the sale of these products.
‘As a government we are creating Britain’s first smoke-free generation.
‘Our landmark Tobacco and Vape Act makes it an offense to sell tobacco products to anyone born after January 1, 2009 and includes powers to restrict the flavours, packaging and displays of vapes to reduce their appeal to children.’