Increasingly young clients are being referred to alcohol services. Pam Vedhara, prevention manager for South Tyneside Youth Offending Service, says: "Young people use more alcohol and begin at a younger age than 10 years ago." But negative stereotypes don't help in dealing with the real issues that arise from young people using alcohol.
Children's charity Barnardo's recently carried out research in Middlesbrough for Connexions Tees Valley, and the results help to paint a picture of the real story behind the headlines. Malcolm Stone, senior researcher at Barnardo's North East, led the six-month project, which aimed to collect data to support the development of a multi-agency strategy to address alcohol use by 10- to 19-year-olds in Middlesbrough. Research methods included surveys of agency workers and 900 young people using outreach workers and other agencies, and a review of existing research.
A lifestyle choice
According to the research, young people see alcohol as a normal part of their culture, in the same way that many adults do. "Even where, in a minority of instances, young people do not use alcohol, it is a part of their lives in that it is a choice available to them and they are likely to observe their peers using alcohol," explains Stone. Fifteen-year-old Jake (not his real name) from Cheshire agrees: "If I had more money I would drink a lot more, because I like it," he says (see box, p15).
Like many adults, young people say that they drink mainly to feel the effects and to socialise, while some say that they use alcohol "to deal with problems". The 13- to 17-year-olds who were surveyed indulge in riskier behaviour than older and younger people, mainly because they are drinking in unsupervised public spaces such as parks. But they do sometimes employ safety strategies such as staying in groups and looking out for each other.
Young people in general tend to limit their drinking to the weekends, but 13- to 16-year-olds are more likely to drink midweek than other young people.
Mick Dent is co-ordinator of the Directions project, which is modelled on a youth inclusion programme, at Middlesbrough Crime Prevention Community Partnership. He was involved in the survey process. "I was surprised by how much young people drink," says Dent. "The 13- to 16-year-olds seemed to be most reckless with their alcohol use, whereas the under-13s were more wary and the 17-plus age group placed restrictions on their consumption in ways similar to adults," he adds. But on a national scale, figures from the national agency for alcohol misuse, Alcohol Concern, show that 16- to 24-year-olds are the group most likely to binge drink.
Aware but don't care
"I was surprised at how much awareness the younger age groups had about alcohol," says Dent. They may have awareness but that doesn't appear to be translating into action once they get older. The overall findings of the research highlighted that young people are not retaining information about the effects of alcohol. It was also found that professionals are not giving young people consistent messages about drinking. "Because alcohol is a legal substance, we've tended not to treat it as seriously as illegal drugs," says Stone. "The 'we've all done it' syndrome comes into play. There is a lack of agreed policy."
The status of alcohol as a socially acceptable drug makes it difficult for substance abuse workers to get young people to take alcohol abuse seriously. Vedhara says: "Young people tend to apply the same approaches to alcohol use as adults. It is considered a requisite part of any good night out and is usually consumed in groups."
She adds: "The message society sends out with happy hours, celebrations and work nights out is that drinking is the most fun when as much alcohol as possible is consumed in the shortest time."
Leeds University student Abi Tura, 22, agrees that promotions like happy hours have an effect on how much she drinks, as well as when and where (see box, above). "In the week the clubs have drink offers on, such as 1.50 for a double or alcopop, so I would probably get through a lot more then," she admits.
According to Alcohol Concern, young people are drinking more and drinking more often. The average amount of alcohol consumed by 11- to 15-year-olds who drink almost doubled between 1990 and 2001, rising from 5.3 units a week to 10.5 units.
Willing to learn
Encouragingly, Middlesbrough's young people were not averse to becoming more informed. Kevin Franks, a young people's development co-ordinator for West Middlesbrough Neighbourhood Trust, says: "The young people we spoke to wanted to find out more about alcohol and its effects, but in a fun way. They wanted more education, but in ways that were relevant to them."
The survey has sent a number of recommendations to the Middlesbrough young people's alcohol strategy. The report calls for a review of how data on young people is collected, and for existing targets and frameworks to be linked through one multi-agency group. It also recommends that education and crime and disorder agencies, as well as the alcohol industry, should approach their policy developments in relation to alcohol from the same standpoint.
The message is that young people's drinking needs to be seen in the context of a society that treats drinking as a social lubricant, and drunken exploits as a bit of a joke. "Young people's drinking in South Tyneside is simply representative of a problem that affects us all," concludes Vedhara.
AMY'S STORY
Amy Figg, 17, is from Mossley in Cheshire and is a student.
"I drank quite a lot last week because I was off college, but this week was more typical since I was back. Mostly we only go out on a Friday drinking, and we go to a student pub near to college. On Friday, we got in the pub about 4pm and I had a pint of Guinness, a whisky and Coke, two Aftershocks and a Tia Maria and Coke. I would normally have a bit more than this but went back to my friend's about 9pm this night. I don't drink in the week because getting up is rubbish if I do.
"On Saturdays I tend to go to the cinema or do something that doesn't involve drink, as I save Sundays for college work. I have an occasional glass of wine with my mum but normally drink with my friends. I sometimes smoke a bit of dope with them as well."
ABI'S STORY
Abi Tura, 22, is from Birmingham and is studying at Leeds University.
"I was back at university this week so it was tiring. In the week, I had about four halves of lager on two days and then got very drunk on Friday as we'd handed in our dissertations.
"I had about six halves of lager, four shots, and about five vodka and lemonades, combined with memory loss, an argument with a friend and sickness in the morning!
"I usually go out on Wednesday and Saturday nights, but didn't midweek because I was finishing off my work. I drink at subsidised prices in the student pub. On a Saturday, I would typically share a bottle of wine with a friend or have a few alcopops before going to the club, and then I would probably drink three pints."
JAKE'S STORY
Jake, 16, is from Cheshire. He works and goes to college one day a week.
"Because of work and college, I don't drink as much as I used to. Now, during the week I normally have about three pints of Carling on Wednesday night, a couple of pints on a Friday night - I have to be up at 8.30am on Saturday so don't overdo it - and then Saturday is when I drink the most. I have about three cans of lager round at my mate's before we go out, then about six alcopops and three pints in the pub and club, usually with a couple of shots. I don't have any problems getting served.
"I sometimes smoke weed as well. I used to smoke it daily but have cut back a lot now. I'm shocked about what alcohol can do to you, though.
My mate lost his mum through drink."
