Government to engage parents in underage drinking campaign

The government will also recommend that 15- to 17-year-olds should only drink alcohol under the guidance of parents or carers.

A campaign later this year will promote the message to parents and young people, and Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson will produce guidance for professionals working with young people in the autumn. 

The campaign will include a particular focus on supporting parents to discuss alcohol with their children, and the government said it would work closely with parenting groups and organisations to deliver this.

Children's minister Dawn Primarolo said: "Ultimately we want to see young people waiting longer before consuming alcohol, but when they do decide to drink, we need to make sure that they and their family have clear support and advice from professionals."

The government received more than 26,000 responses to the consultation, which launched in January, with the majority of the responses coming from young people through online surveys.