Blackwell, David

McInnes, Alison

English

Teeside University's Research Repository

Vol.28 No. 2, 2010                                                                                                      Education and Health 23It has been reported that young people inthe UK exhibit high levels of alcoholconsumption and binge drinking (Ranzettaet al, 2003).  Within England, Northerners,are reported as being the heaviest drinkers(Office for National Statistics, 2005, Bellis etal, 2007). Young people often start drinkingalcohol when they are of school age (Jefferiset al, 2005).Concern has been expressed within theEuropean Union about changes in drinkingpatterns among young people especiallyrelated to an increase in the occurrence ofbinge drinking (Ranzetta et al, 2003).  Bingedrinking is defined as 'drinking a lot ofalcohol in a single session' (Wright 1999,p.27).  However, the term 'binge drinking'has become a highly politicised concept, butis rarely defined with any accuracy(Hammersley, 2005).    Sunderland study This paper reports on a study, the mainaim of which was to determine the selfreported drinking behaviours of school agechildren in Sunderland in the North East ofEngland.  The results presented werederived from data collected by a HealthRelated Behaviour Survey, which wasadministered by the Schools HealthEducation Unit.  Sunderland is one of thedistricts involved in this on-going project.The questionnaire included questions onknowledge and experience of alcohol,cigarette and drug consumption, amongstother health related topics.  The reportedbehaviours of schoolchildren of differentages and genders were elicited.  Thisallowed comparisons to be made and trendsidentified over a defined period of time.  The questionnaire was administered totwo age groups (Year 8 and Year 10) ofsecondary schoolchildren over a period often years, at two yearly intervals. A total of8,008 schoolchildren (comprising 3,839males and 4,178 females in Year 8 and Year10), completed the questionnaire in 1996,1998, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006.  Year 8schoolchildren include 12 and 13 year oldsand Year 10 schoolchildren, include 14 and15 year olds.   A total of nine secondaryschools were sampled biennially.  The datafrom the questionnaires were analysedusing SPSS Version 15.  Results and discussion Alcohol consumption There has been a steady increase in thepercentage of pupils, in every age group andfor both genders, who reported that they donot consume alcohol.  This trend reached apeak in the 2004 survey, with the majority ofthe young people surveyed (66%) statingthat they had not consumed any alcohol inthe last seven days.  The trend can also beseen in both the male and the femaleschoolchildren for both school years.  Data from the early 1980s onwardssuggest a peak in the mid-1990s in theDr Alison McInnes is a senior lecturer in Social Work in the School of Health and Social Care, Teesside University. Dr David Blackwell isAssociate Dean of the School of Health, Natural and Social Sciences at the University of Sunderland. This article is extracted from, “Saints notsinners? Young people bucking the trend of binge drinking. An analysis of the drinking trends of school age children in Sunderland”, Drugs:Education, Prevention & Policy, 11 Aug 2009. For communication please email: a.mcinnes@tees.ac.ukAlison McInnes and David BlackwellAn analysis of the drinking trends of schoolage children in Sunderland282A.qxd  28/05/2010  11:22  Page 23numbers of UK schoolchildren reportingdrinking alcohol (Department of Health,2005; SHEU, 2009). However, it is suggestedthat, since the mid-1990s, fewerschoolchildren are drinking alcohol but, forexample, 14-15 year old male beer or lager‘drinkers’ are consuming more (SHEU,2009).  In previous studies the North andNorth West of England, showed the highestlevels of male and female weekly alcoholconsumption amongst young people(Hollands, 1995; Balding, 1997). Overall,respondents in Sunderland report adecrease over the study period in thenumbers of schoolchildren actuallyconsuming alcohol and the amountconsumed.  Numbers of units of alcoholconsumed The number of pupils stating that they donot drink alcohol has increased steadily overthe study period.  For Year 8 males it rosefrom 62% in 1996, to 84% in 2006, a 36%increase.  For Year 10 males this increasewas 59% and Year 10 females exhibited thegreatest percentage increase of 74% over the10 year period.  In general the quantities ofunits consumed are not large.  In 2006, only3% of school age children reported drinking28 units or more, in the last seven days.Overall, during the six survey periods anaverage of only 2% of all the schoolchildrendrank 28 units or more.  Indeed those 'bingedrinking', or drinking between 7 and 10units a week, has decreased from 9% in 1996to 5% in 2006.  The trend towards a decreasein the numbers of units consumed can alsobe found in both the males and femalessampled and in both cohorts.  Drinks consumed The respondents identified that the mostpopular drink until 2006, for both Year 8 and10 males, was beer, or lager.  However,alcopops were the most popular drinksreported by females, over the same period.In 2006, cider was the most popular drinkfor males and wine for females, over the twoage groups.  For Year 10 males beer or lagerconsumption dropped from 41% in 1996, to5% in 2006.   This trend was similar for Year8 males and for females of both cohorts.  Thereported consumption of beer, lager andcider has decreased every year since 1996,for both sexes and both age groups.  ForYear 10 males and females with regard toalcopops, again a decrease can be seen from1996. In that year there was a high of 34% forfemales and 30% for males.  This hasdropped to 15% for females and 7% formales in 2006.  With reference to alcopops, Roberts et al(1999) indicate that in Wales, 17% of 11 to 16year olds reported consuming alcopops atleast weekly.  However, the consumption ofalcopops by males and females inSunderland continues to remain steady andeven though lager and cider are the mostpopular drinks the number consuming thesedrinks has also decreased.  Location of consumption The most frequently reported place forthe consumption of alcohol was at home, orat the home of a friend, or relative.  For Year10 males this was 45% in 2006 and forfemales of the same age group it was 42%.Consuming alcohol in a public place wasreported by 16% of Year 10 males in 2006and 25% of Year 10 females.  Moreover, 14%of male and 15% of female Year 10schoolchildren, stated that they consumedalcohol on licensed premises in 2006. The most frequently reported place forconsuming alcohol for all age groups is thehome and in keeping with previous studies(Wright, 1999; Currie et al, 2003) theSunderland survey findings supported this.Indeed HM Government (2007, p.1) reiteratethat 'most under 16s have their first taste ofalcohol with parents, at home'.   This can beviewed in a positive light in that parents are'policing' responsible use and therebyencouraging more accountable behaviouramongst young people.    Vol.28 No. 2, 201024 Education and Health282A.qxd  28/05/2010  11:22  Page 24Parental knowledge and protection In 2006, of the Year 10 schoolchildren,73% of males and 71% of females stated thattheir parents had knowledge of theirdrinking at home.  For Year 8, 53% of malesand 56% of females reported parentalknowledge.  The World HealthOrganization's European Charter onAlcohol states that: 'All children andadolescents have the right to grow up in anenvironment protected from the negativeconsequences of alcohol consumption andto the extent possible, from the promotion ofalcoholic beverages' (cited in Institute ofAlcohol Studies, 2004; p1).   Some of thisprotection must be placed as theresponsibility of parents, or othercaregivers.  Illegal purchasing of alcohol Year 10 pupils were more likely topurchase alcohol than those from Year 8.The most popular place for the purchase ofalcohol was an off-licence, reported by 14%of Year 10 males and 15% of females.Although those under 18 years of age cannotbuy alcohol legally, Currie et al, (2003)found that 10% of 12 to 15 year olds whohad consumed alcohol in the last year hadbought the alcohol themselves.  Moreover, only a third of under 18s whohad tried to buy alcohol reported thatretailers had refused to sell it to them(Currie et al, 2003).  What is clear from the research inSunderland is that schoolchildren have nodifficulty in obtaining alcohol and in manycases gaining access to licensed premises.Moreover, the regulation at point of sale inoff-licenses is difficult, with strangers, olderrelatives and friends often assisting in thepurchasing of alcohol for schoolchildren.  Ina survey carried out in Sunderland almost athird of 58 off-licences, offered to sell alcoholto underage drinkers (EnvironmentalHealth & Trading Standards, 2003).   RecommendationsOverall, the findings in Sunderland canbe viewed in an optimistic light, in that theycontrast with the trend of increased bingedrinking by schoolchildren in the rest of theUK.  It can be argued that the sensibledrinking message related to drinking hashad an impact in Sunderland.   Indeedspecific measures have been put into placein Sunderland including the setting up of ahealth promotion project specifically aimedat young people.  This initiative was taken inresponse to the perception of the North Eastbeing a problematic area where heavydrinking was common.  Although there is acorrelation between the implementation ofthese interventions and the decrease inalcohol consumption this study cannotverify whether a causal relationshipbetween the two exists.  However, a small proportion of schoolage children in Sunderland still consumealcohol, often at home and with theirparents' knowledge. The Alcohol HarmReduction Strategy for England (CabinetOffice, 2004) does not includerecommendations for the age at whichalcohol education should begin.  McInnesand Barrett (2007) recommend that thisshould begin as early as primary schoolreception level, i.e. five years of age, if goodhabits are to be built up across the lifespan.   The results of the study depend upon selfreporting of alcohol related behaviour as thebasis of the data collected.  However, thecompletion of the survey was independentlysupervised and assurances of completeconfidentiality and anonymity were given torespondents.  It may have been supposedthat schoolchildren would exaggerate theirdrinking habits as a form of bravado.  Thismay or may not have happened, although ifthis had been the case it would have beenexpected that their results would match, orbeen higher than the previous publisheddata. Vol.28 No. 2, 2010                                                                                                      Education and Health 25282A.qxd  28/05/2010  11:22  Page 25Conversely the respondents may havefound the situation such, that they feltsecure in reporting their true behavioursand therefore the results are an accuratereflection of the true situation. The trends identified by the analysis ofthe data in this study are encouraging interms of the reduction in both the amount ofalcohol consumed and the number ofschoolchildren who do not consume alcohol.These findings do appear to contradict thosedescribed in the published literature.  Thereis a need to identify whether or not, thecurrent trend of reduction in alcoholconsumption in Sunderland is becominguniversal among schoolchildren in the UK.Paradoxically it may be that the behaviourof schoolchildren in Sunderland acts againstthe norm and they are as a group indeed'saints and not sinners,' when it comes toincreased alcohol consumption.ReferencesBalding, J. (1997). Young People and Illegal Drugs in1996. Exeter: Schools Health Education Unit.Bellis, M.A. et al (2007). Predictors of risky alcoholconsumption in schoolchildren and their implications forpreventing alcohol-related harm.  Substance Abuse.Treatment, Prevention, Policy. 10, 2, pp. 15.Brain, K; & Parker, H. (1997). Drinking with Design.Alcopops, Designer Drinks and Youth Culture. London:Portman Group.Cabinet Office (2004). Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategyfor England. London: HMSO.Currie, C. et al (2003). Scottish Schools Adolescent LifestyleSubstance Use Survey (SALSUS) National Report:Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use Among 13 and 15 YearOlds in Scotland in 2002. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive.Department of Health (2005). Smoking, drinking and druguse among young people in England in 2004. London:DoH and Office for National Statistics.Environmental Health & Trading Standards (2003). AgeRestricted Sales. Sunderland: Environmental Health andTrading Standards.Hammersley, R. (2005). Unthinking drinking. ScottishJournal of Criminal Justice Studies.  11, pp.64-69.HM Government (2007). Safe. Sensible. Social. The nextsteps in the National Alcohol Strategy. London: DoH.Hollands, R. (1995). Friday Night, Saturday Night: YouthCultural Identification and the Post-industrial City.Newcastle-Upon-Tyne: University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.Institute of Alcohol Studies (2004). Young People andAlcohol. Cambridge: Institute of Alcohol Studies.Jefferis, B.J. et al (2005). Adolescent Drinking Level andAdult Binge Drinking in a National Cohort.  Addiction.100, 4, pp.543-549.McInnes, A; & Barrett, A. (2007). 'Drugs Education', in: M.Simpson, T. Shildrick & R. MacDonald. Drugs in Britain:Supply, Consumption and Control. Hampshire: Palgrave. Office for National Statistics (2005). General HouseholdSurvey 2003. London: HMSO.Ranzetta, L;  Fitzpatrick, J; & Seljmani, F. (2003).Megapoles: Young People and Alcohol. London: GreaterLondon Authority.Roberts, C. et al (1999). The Impact of 'Alcopops' onRegular Drinking by Young People in Wales.  Drugs:education, prevention and policy.  6,1, pp.5-15.SHEU (2009). Young People into 2009. Exeter: SchoolsHealth Education Unit.Wright, L. (1999). Young People and Alcohol: What 11 to24 Year Olds Know, Think and Do. London: HealthEducation Authority. Vol.28 No. 2, 201026 Education and HealthHealth Related Behaviour Research via EmailSHEU provides three HRBR resources each month...HRBR about 5-11 year olds...about 11-16 year olds...and about 16+ year oldsand they’re free...visit www.sheu.org.uk282A.qxd  28/05/2010  11:22  Page 26

An analysis of the drinking trends of school age children in Sunderland

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An analysis of the drinking trends of school age children in Sunderland

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