Drinking and young people

I found this press release it relates to something I wrote about earlier ........................................................................................................................................

Young people’s drinking – what do Northern Ireland parents think?

Two new pieces of research focusing on young people’s attitudes to alcohol and the role parents’ play in this relationship will be revealed at a seminar today at the Rosspark Hotel, Kells.
The research carried out by the Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland (HPA) and Queen’s University Belfast focuses on 11–16 year olds and highlights some of the factors influencing young people to drink, including access to alcohol and parental attitudes.
1
Speaking about the seminar, Victoria Creasy, Senior Manager for Public Health at the HPA, said: “We know from previous research that the average age for children in Northern Ireland to have their first drink is around 11, and that the majority of young people get their first alcoholic drink either from friends (45%) or parents (20%). This indicates there is both peer and parental influence on young people’s initial experiences of drinking.

2
“Today’s qualitative research reveals that drugs and alcohol are the two most frequently mentioned parental worries, yet many parents will buy their teenagers alcohol to drink at home or at a party. Furthermore, parents reported thinking it is acceptable for children to drink at home from approximately 14 years of age. Some parents think it is responsible to introduce their children to alcohol in the belief that this will discourage drinking to excess or in risky environments. However parents fail to give the full picture and base the advice they give to their child on their own behaviour and knowledge of alcohol, which we know from adult research is not always well informed and sensible.

“Understanding young people’s experimentation with alcohol is complex. However this research highlights the significant influence parents have on forming their children’s drinking behaviour. We know that supportive and involved parenting has been associated with a later initiation of alcohol use along with lower consumption. This research with parents is therefore a fundamental first step in understanding how to support parents in the pivotal role they play as they help their children develop a responsible attitude towards alcohol.”

Commenting on the findings from the Youth Development Study Dr Patrick McCrystal, Institute of Child Care Research at Queen’s, said: “Comparatively high numbers of young people are moving to more serious levels of alcohol consumption by the mid teenage years, with 40% of young people who reported drinking to intoxication doing so each week.3

It is therefore vital that a wide range of people, including parents, carers, police, local authorities and health professionals recognise they have a role to play in addressing young people’s drinking. It is very positive that all these groups are represented at today’s seminar.”

Today’s event has attracted 120 delegates and is the first of a two-part seminar. The second part will be held later in the year and will consider what has been effective in tackling young people’s drinking and discuss what can realistically be done within the real-world constraints of culture, legislation and budgets.

END

Notes to the Editor:A media facility will be available at Rosspark Hotel, Kells from 11:15–11:45am when Victoria Creasy, HPA, and Dr Patrick McCrystal, Queen’s University will be available for interview.
For media enquiries contact the HPA Press Office on Tel: 028 9031 1611.
1 Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland. Qualitative Research with 11–16 year olds and parents of 11–16 year olds. October 2007. Unpublished.2 Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland. Drinking behaviour among young people in Northern Ireland: secondary analysis of alcohol data from 1997 to 2003. Belfast: HPA, 2005. 3 Youth Development Study, QUB, 2007. Unpublished.