UNDER THE INFLUENCEALCOHOL AND YOUNG PEOPLE

Cliona Murphy

Alcohol Action Ireland

Bray Drug Awareness Month 2012

OVERVIEW

What’s the harm? How much do children drink? Where do they get it? Parents and alcohol Alcohol marketing Recommendations

CHILDREN & ALCOHOL WHAT’S THE HARM?

Alcohol has a greater impact on children and young people as bodies and brains still developing

Alcohol can cause damage to the developing brain

Lifestyle patterns often established in teenage years

Alcohol can damage mental healthIncreased harm for girls and young women

IMPACT

Negative consequences in the past year reported by 15/16 year olds Getting into trouble with the police (22%) Not being able to stop drinking (20%) Doing something you regretted (48%)

Crime- Alcohol is a factor up to half all of all youth crimes- 85% of Garda Youth Diversion Programmes

named alcohol-related crime as first on the list of offences committed in their area

IMPACT

Health

Chronic alcohol-related conditions among young people becoming increasingly common

Among 15-34 year olds, rate of alcoholic liver disease discharges increased 275% between 1995 and 2009

4,129 under 30 discharged from hospital which chronic disease or conditions normally seen in older people between 2005 and 2008

HOW MUCH DO CHILDREN DRINK?

ESPAD 2011 surveyed 15–16-year-old students in 36 European countries

Irish students reported that in the 30 days prior to the survey Half (48% boys and 52% girls) had drunk alcohol 40% had 5+ drinks on a single occasion 23% had one or more episodes of drunkenness

9% girls and 13% boys got drunk for the first time before the age of 13

Consistent trend for drunkenness when drinking among Irish students

Consistent trend for girls drinking as much as boys and sometimes drinking more

WHERE DO THEY GET IT?

84% 15 and 16 year olds said alcohol was ‘very easy’ or ‘fairly easy’ to get compared to 75% in 2007 (ESPAD 2011)

In the 30 days prior to the survey 26% bought drink from an off-trade outlet 37% bought from the on-trade

ESPAD 2007 25% said an older sibling or friend bought it 16% said their parents gave it to them

PARENTS AND ALCOHOL

Majority of Irish parents do not think it is beneficial to introduce children to alcohol in the home 27% said it was a good idea 63% disagreed 10% unsure

Only 11% said they had given their teenager drink at home

Giving alcohol to teenagers at home gives a very mixed message

Delaying onset of drinking and monitoring your child are key in preventing substance misuse

ALCOHOL MARKETING

Aim of marketing is to increase shareholder profits

Alcohol and advertising industries the primary educators on alcohol and drinking - €2m year on drink responsibly, €70m year on alcohol promotion...

Alcohol and advertising industries largely self-regulate marketing practices

What is marketing? Price Product Place Promotion

ALCOHOL MARKETING

Increases the likelihood that adolescents will start to use alcohol and to drink more if already drinking

Constant exposure to positive, risk free images of alcohol and its use

Role in shaping youth culture Have We Bottled it Survey

5 out of 10 favourite ads among 16-21 year olds are for alcohol

one in 3 16 to 17-year-olds said they had seen an ad or pop-up for an alcohol product on their social networking page (of the 83% with a Facebook page)

OWNERSHIP OF ALCOHOL BRANDED MERCHANDISE AMONG 16-21 YEAR OLDS

RECOMMENDATIONS

If we are to delay the age at which children start drinking, action is needed in three key areas

Monitor the enforcement of legislation regarding sale and supply of alcohol to children

Introduce a statutory framework with respect to the volume, content and placement of alcohol marketing

Reduce alcohol consumption at national level