Advice and Support for Parents

Alcohol concerns:

Local information about the levels of alcohol young people are drinking young people get their alcohol from

A survey called the Health Related Behaviour Questionnaire (HRBQ) is completed on a bi-annual basis with year 8s and year 10s in Cambridgeshire schools. The most recent survey was conducted in 2008, with a total of 9,401 Cambridgeshire pupils completing the survey.

2008 findings indicated that 26% of Year 8s and 49% of Year 10s surveys had drunk alcohol in the last 7 days. The trend has been stable since 2006. More worryingly, at least 7% of Year 10 females (158) and 6% of Year 10 males (127) are exceeding the safe drinking limit calculated for adults. 1% of Year 8 males admitted drinking over 27 units per day. Considering this group is aged between 12 and 13, they are putting themselves at very high risk.

Where do young people get their alcohol from?

However, what is of greatest concern is that the survey shows alarming statistics regarding where young people are obtaining alcohol from.
Approximately 20% of young people in Cambridgeshire were given alcohol by their parents or other adults. Less than 3% bought alcohol themselves, from either a supermarket or off-licence.

What is the health advice about young people drinking alcohol underage?

In January 2009, government advice for young people and their parents about alcohol was published by the Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson. It stated that children should not drink before the age of 15, and that between 15 and 17 years, young people should only drink when supervised by a parent or another adult.

The Department of Health guidance also emphasises the importance of parental influence on their children’s drinking. Attitudes to alcohol can often be passed down from parent to child because children see their parents as role models. According to the Balding Survey young people are most likely to get their drink from their parents or other adults and least likely to buy it by themselves.

What are your responsibilities as a parent, in terms of alcohol and your child?
Parents need to be aware of their responsibilities around their children and alcohol. Recent government guidance, published by the Department of Health in December 2009 was produced in response to concern about the level and pattern of drinking among children and young people and its consequences on health, crime, violence and antisocial behavior. The guidance states that serious harm that can come to children if they drink and the main advice is that childhood should be an alcohol-free time.

We understand and appreciate that alcohol is very much a part of the British culture, and as such, many young people will drink, and find that it is socially acceptable to drink with their friends. Clearly, not all young people drink alcohol, but the DAAT would invite parents to consider the following:
• Have you ever given your child alcohol knowingly?
• Would you know if your child was taking alcohol from your home?
• If you have given your child alcohol in the past, have you always been confident that you know where they are going with it, and how much they will be consuming?
• If your child was caught drinking in a public place, would you know what the consequences could be?

If these questions have made you want to find out more, and you would like information about any of the issues above, please see the DrinkAware website, for lots of useful facts about alcohol, and tips on how to talk to young people about it.
www.drinkaware.co.uk

Or, if you would like support, and you are under 18, or the parent of an under-18, please call CASUS on 01480 415278 or 01223 214614 or e-mailing casus@cpft.nhs.uk
Adults wanting local support around their own drinking, please visit www.cambsdaat.org for information.

                                                          Last Updated: 28th May 2010