Majority of 15 to 16-year-olds drink
Updated on 28 March 2008
The scale of Britain's teenage alcohol problem became clear today, with the revelation that 84 per cent of 15 to 16-year-olds drink.
Young people who admit to drinking alcohol under-age are consuming the equivalent of 177 pints of beer a year, and regularly binge on alcohol.
Research into the drinking habits of almost 10,000 15 and 16-year-olds in the north west of England shows that binge drinking and alcohol is a part of life for many teenagers.
The figures show that on average young people drink what amounts to 44 bottles of wine or 177 pints of beer a year, that 40 per cent of teenagers in poor areas binge drink and just under half drink at least once a week.
