3 weeks ago
Children successful England are much apt to person drunk alcohol than those successful immoderate different country, a damning study reveals today.
The nation’s kids are besides being plagued by alarmingly precocious rates of vaping and smoking, nan World Health Organization warns.
It says much must beryllium done to protect youngsters from these ‘toxic and vulnerable products’ and described their usage astatine specified a young property arsenic a ‘serious nationalist wellness threat’.
In 1 of nan largest studies of its kind, nan WHO examined information from 280,000 children aged 11, 13 and 15 from 44 countries who were asked astir their usage of cigarettes, vapes and alcohol.
It recovered girls successful England are typically drinking, smoking and vaping much than boys, while nan state is ‘top of nan charts’ globally for kid intoxicant use.
More than 1 successful 3 11-year-olds successful England (35 per cent of boys and 34 per cent of girls) has tried booze, which is much than immoderate different state and much than double nan world mean of 15 per cent.
By nan clip children scope nan property of 13, nan fig successful England has risen to much than half (50 per cent of boys and 57 per cent of girls), which is still nan highest successful nan world and compares pinch an world mean of 1 successful 3 (33 per cent).
Girls successful England proceed to lead boys astatine nan property of 15, though 5 different countries rank higher by this point.
Furthermore, boys and girls successful England aged 11, 13 and 15 are much apt than nan world mean to person been drunk astatine slightest twice, meaning galore are not drinking successful moderation.
The complaint of drunkenness among 15-year-old girls successful England is much than 1 successful 3 (34 per cent).
Sir Ian Gilmore, chair of nan UK’s Alcohol Health Alliance, said: ‘These findings are highly concerning, particularly nan levels of 11- and 13-year-olds who study drinking alcohol.
‘This straight goes against nan Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines that opportunity an alcohol-free puerility is nan healthiest option, and that children shouldn’t portion immoderate intoxicant earlier property 15.
‘The earlier an individual starts to portion alcohol, nan much apt they are to create alcohol-related problems later successful life.
‘Drinking tin besides interfere pinch young people’s beingness and acquisition development.’
Sir Ian blamed vulnerability to intoxicant advertizing for fuelling drinking astatine an early property and said it is ‘shocking’ that children successful nan UK are much acquainted pinch definite brands of brew than biscuits, crisps and crystal cream.
He added: ‘Advertising regulations person been introduced by nan authorities for different harmful products for illustration cigarettes and junk food, we urgently request a comparable attack for alcohol.’
The WHO study covered youngsters surviving successful Europe, Central Asia and Canada, and included much than 4,000 children successful England.
It recovered 40 per cent of girls and 26 per cent of boys successful England had vaped astatine nan property of 15, compared pinch a world mean of 33 per cent and 31 per cent, respectively.
Some 30 per cent of girls successful England - almost 1 successful 3 - person vaped successful nan past 30 days.
More girls than boys aged 15 successful England person tried smoking (28 per cent vs 16 per cent) and nan complaint among girls is higher than nan world mean (26 per cent).
Dr Hans Kluge, WHO location head for Europe, said nan wide usage of harmful substances among children ‘is a superior nationalist wellness threat’.
He added: ‘Considering that nan encephalon continues to create good into a person’s mid-20s, adolescents request to beryllium protected from nan effects of toxic and vulnerable products.
‘Unfortunately, children coming are perpetually exposed to targeted online trading of harmful products, while celebrated culture, for illustration video games, normalises them.'
Dr Jo Inchley, world co-ordinator for nan study, called Health Behaviour In School-Aged Children, and from nan University of Glasgow, said it is ‘really rather worrying’ that ‘England is astatine nan apical of nan charts for 11 and 13-year-olds erstwhile it comes to intoxicant use’.
She added: ‘We’re seeing really precocious levels of early initiation into drinking amongst boys and girls successful England.
‘Why that’s overmuch higher than different countries, I don’t really know, but it’s surely thing we request to look astatine and address.’
Anne Longfield, chair of nan Centre for Young Lives and erstwhile Children’s Commissioner, said: ‘We should beryllium alarmed astatine nan rising numbers of young group taking up vaping, our position astatine nan apical of nan convention for children’s intoxicant use, and its effect connected health, development, and nan other strain it will bring to nan NHS.
‘The Wild West era of vaping companies being allowed to do what they for illustration must end.’
A Government spokesperson said: ‘The wellness proposal is clear – smoking, vaping and underage drinking tin beryllium damaging for young group and their development.
‘That is why location are property restrictions connected nan waste of these products.
‘As a government, we are creating nan UK’s first smokefree generation.
‘Our landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill will make it an offence to waste baccy products to anyone calved aft January 1 2009 and includes powers to limit flavours, packaging and displays of vapes to trim nan entreaty to children.’
