Survey to gain true picture of underage drinking
Cathy Wallace
Thursday, August 28, 2008
The London Assembly has launched an investigation to find out the "true scale" of drinking among young people in the capital.
It will focus on 11 to 21-year-olds and will include a survey, focus groups with young people and the use of social networking sites like Facebook.
The investigation will look into the extent of underage drinking and the underlying causes of alcohol misuse by young people, and make recommendations on how to tackle the problem.
James Cleverly, chair of the assembly's health and public services committee, said: "We know that 1,603 young people were admitted to London's hospitals with alcohol-specific problems last year, but this is likely to be just the tip of the iceberg. Our investigation will uncover the true scale of the problem."
Londoners are being asked to answer questions on the assembly's website on the scale of drinking among young people and its impact on the local community.
Don Shenker, chief executive of charity Alcohol Concern, said: "By getting a street-level sense of what motivates young Londoners to drink heavily we will be in a better position to plan a co-ordinated and effective response."
The investigation will look into the extent of underage drinking and the underlying causes of alcohol misuse by young people, and make recommendations on how to tackle the problem.
James Cleverly, chair of the assembly's health and public services committee, said: "We know that 1,603 young people were admitted to London's hospitals with alcohol-specific problems last year, but this is likely to be just the tip of the iceberg. Our investigation will uncover the true scale of the problem."
Londoners are being asked to answer questions on the assembly's website on the scale of drinking among young people and its impact on the local community.
Don Shenker, chief executive of charity Alcohol Concern, said: "By getting a street-level sense of what motivates young Londoners to drink heavily we will be in a better position to plan a co-ordinated and effective response."
