ACS

A report published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families found that parents and young people are shirking responsibility for under-age drinking and that young people find it easy to justify their own drinking and are confident that they know how to drink safely.

Despite being aware of the general issue, most believe it is not their problem and lay the blame with "other people".

The report also found that in some cases, adults are facilitating or even encouraging underage drinking.

Many parents cannot see the role they play in combating the problem, with most believing that underage drinking is part of a "youth culture in crisis" and that it is exacerbated by "celebrity role models" known for their drinking habits as well as a legal and sales framework that aids drinking.

It said: "The vast majority of children, young people and parents interviewed believed that they (or their children) can gain control of alcohol: because they are aware of both the positive and negative effects of alcohol and feel they have the knowledge and disposition to manage these."

The report concluded that young people are aware of the effects of alcohol and the reasons why it is "bad".

But they are not aware of the specific facts of alcohol damage on young bodies and lives.

It says that young people see famous "drinking disasters" as extremes and in general are given the impression that despite their alcohol problems, famous people still retain their status and therefore "alcohol does not lose you anything important."

The study, which questioned 94 parents and carers and over 250 young people aged 10-18, found that there is evidence of "social acceptance" of alcohol everywhere in the UK, and parents and children do not want to think of alcohol as a drug.

Instead parents and young people perpetuate "myths" to convince themselves that their own drinking is "safe."

The report notes that "there is no current perception of a Government 'standpoint' on the subject or any considered strategy to deal with the substance and its impact.

"Importantly, there is evidence to suggest the contrary: that the Government is not taking a stand to manage the issue of alcohol in society."

The report, by Define Research & Insight, concludes that there is a need to look at new ways of getting messages about underage drinking across.

This could include asking people to consider alcohol as a dangerous substance like tobacco.

It argues that current messages around the dangers of tobacco have led to smoking being a habit that everyone in society wants to change.

To read the report click here.