Youngsters targeted by guide advising on dangers of alcohol

A new guide for young people called Drunk in Charge of a Body? has been produced by Alcohol Concern and the Brook pregnancy advice service.

The guide looks at the impact alcohol has on young people's personal relationships and their bodies and offers advice on how to avoid associated dangers.

At the guide's launch, Roger Ingham, from the University of Southampton's centre for sexual health research, reported on a recent survey that revealed 15 per cent of young women and 20 per cent of young men said alcohol was a major contributory reason why they had sex for the first time.

The survey also found that women whose first sexual experiences were linked to alcohol were more likely to regret having sex, and women who were younger at the time of their first sexual experience were more likely to report alcohol being involved.

The guide is intended as an educational aid and includes a series of case studies tackling issues such as how to recognise when a friend has a drink.

A spokesman for Alcohol Concern said: "There is clear evidence of a lower incidence of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections among young people in areas where there is impartial and practical advice and information about the links between alcohol and sex.

"In this light we believe Drunk in Charge of a Body? can make a valuable contribution to the sexual health of millions of young people."

Copies of the guide are available from both Alcohol Concern on 020 7928 7377 and Brook on 07865 719410.