British girls drink more than boys – and almost the whole of Europe, study finds
BRITISH girls are among the worst in Europe for getting repeatedly drunk, new research has revealed.
Only girls in Denmark, Hungary and Italy outdrink their British girl peers, according to research by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Over a third of 15-year-old girls in the UK have gotten drunk on at least two occasions, The Times reported.
This means girls are outpacing their male peers when it comes to drinking, with fewer than one in four boys admitting to the same.
Experts believe alcohol brands are aggressively targeting young women, using adverts that glamorise drinking and frame it as a feminine activity.
The report suggests these girls could be copying their parents, particularly their mothers, as British women are reported to binge drink more than their European counterparts.
The research compared the drinking habits of 15-year-olds in 34 countries.
It found that in many nations, including the UK, a significant proportion of teens reported being drunk at least twice.
As many as 29 per cent of UK 15-year-olds – boys and girls combined – said they had been drunk at least twice, compared to an EU average of 23 per cent.
The OECD report said that historically teenage boys drank more than girls.
However, the reverse is now true in 12 European countries, including the UK Hungary, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Sweden.
British teenage girls ranked as the third heaviest drinkers, with 34 per cent admitting to being drunk, compared to 27 per cent of British boys the same age, who came 11th.
It comes amid rising levels of alcohol-related liver disease in women, as a result of increasing levels of alcohol misuse.
Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chairman of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK, told the newspaper: “Although it is unclear what exactly is driving this trend, shifting cultural norms and shrewdly targeted marketing campaigns are likely to play a role.”
Dr Katherine Severi, chief executive of the Institute of Alcohol Studies, said: “For several years, girls have been drinking alcohol at younger ages than boys and are more likely to experience intoxication earlier.
“While the reasons for this are not fully understood, broader trends indicate a significant rise in alcohol consumption among women in recent decades.
“This can be attributed to factors such as greater economic independence, shifting social environments and the influence of targeted marketing by the alcohol industry.”
In the UK it is illegal to buy alcohol if you are under 18.
But anyone over 16 who is accompanied by an adult can drink (but not buy) beer, wine or cider with a meal.
The NHS advises that no one under 18 should drink because drinking can damage the development of organs including the brain and liver, bones and hormones.
Drinking at an early age is associated with increased health risks and risky behaviour, such as violence, drugs and drink-driving.
The telltale signs your child is at risk of growing up to be an alcoholic
SCIENTISTS have spotted a telltale sign in young drinkers that suggests they will grow up to be an alcoholic.
Teenagers were asked about their drinking habits and then followed up 17 years later.
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University found that drinking alone between the ages of 18 and mid-20s strongly increases risk for alcoholism in the 30s.
The risk is especially high for women, according to the findings in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
Lead author Kasey Creswell, associate professor of psychology at CMU, said: “Most young people who drink do it with others in social settings, but a substantial minority of young people are drinking alone.
“Solitary drinking is a unique and robust risk factor for future alcohol use disorder.
“Even after we account for well-known risk factors, like binge drinking, frequency of alcohol use, socioeconomic status, and gender, we see a strong signal that drinking alone as a young person predicts alcohol problems in adulthood.”
Prof Creswell and colleagues believe there isn’t enough research into the places where young adults drink, while there is plenty on their drinking frequency and quantity.
Some of the risk factors previously identified are, according to the Mayo Clinic:
- Starting drinking at an early age
- Having a relative with an alcohol use problem
- A history of trauma, such as sexual abuse
- Binge drinking on a regular basis, or steady drinking over a long period of time
Use this quiz from leading charity Drinkaware to work out if you have an alcohol use problem.