A fifth of teenage drinkers are never asked for ID

The research, which involved 500 young people aged 16 to 23, found 74 per cent of 16- to 17-year-olds said they would mix their drinks, 66 per cent would travel alone after an evening drinking alcohol and 21 per cent of this age group binge drink once a month.

One-fifth said they had never been asked for identification to prove their age while nearly a third reported only being asked for ID sometimes.

The Institute of Alcohol Studies research manager Rachel Seabrook said: "A small step is being taken with schemes such as Challenge 21, but these figures suggest that they might not be widespread enough or not actually working."

Alcohol Concern is also concerned about the success of measures to reduce alcohol abuse among young people. A spokesman said: "Research shows a direct link between alcohol consumption and price, and the availability and low cost of alcohol has been cited time and again as one of the major causes of alcohol misuse in young people."

"Introducing a minimum price per unit on alcohol would have a prohibitive effect on young people, who are among the most problematic drinkers, while having little financial impact on truly responsible drinkers."

More than half of respondents in the 16 to 17 age bracket agreed that pricing was an issue worth exploring with a further 20 per cent describing it as a "great idea". Two-thirds also felt tutorials in schools providing advice and guidance about alcohol would be useful. 

 "Alcohol pricing could directly affect the amount that young people drink, and at the moment supermarkets are just absorbing any price increases that the government imposes," Seabrook added.

Last month the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) published a follow-up review to the recommendations it made to the government in its Pathways to Problems report in 2006, which contained guidance about how to tackle rising numbers of young people drinking.

According to the review, some of the guidance is yet to be implemented or has not been given due attention. It highlights a pressing need to curb promotional drinks offers and a greater push in schools and educational outlets to discourage "the culture of excessive drinking and promoting less risky drinking". It also reiterates the need for a ban on drinks advertising before the watershed, as stated in the 2006 report.

"We cannot afford to ignore the impact of advertising, cheap prices and availability, or a lack of education in developing unhealthy attitudes towards alcohol in young people," an Alcohol Concern spokesperson added.

"The government must take proactive steps to curtail the worrying levels of alcohol misuse among young people and the catastrophic health consequences it threatens for the future."