Drinks companies blamed for underage drinking

Drinks companies are being blamed for children as young as 11 drinking to excess.

A new report by charity Alcohol Concern shows that one in five children aged 11 to 16 indulge on a boozing session at least once a week and medical experts are blaming irresponsible marketing by drinks companies for the dangerous craze.

Eric Appleby, the charity's chief executive said: "The figures are worrying. Although drinks companies have improved in the way they advertise these drinks, there are still some companies practising irresponsibly," he added.

But Steve Perez managing director of GBL International which produces Vodka Kick said the report was unfair because drinks companies were governed by the Portman Group's code of conduct and the Advertising Standards Authority.

He added: "Advertising isn't any more irresponsible. The problem is the fact that alcohol is such a taboo subject in this country and it is seen as an illicit pastime. We need to change our attitude to alcohol and become more like the continent.

And in a separate report released in the same week, medical experts said there needed to be urgent measures to tackle alcohol abuse by clubbers and those visiting late-night bars after their research showed it is a far worse problem than drugs.

Scientists reporting in the Emergency Medical Journal concluded that huge public concern about drugs on the club and pub scene was overshadowing the enormous role played by alcohol when it came to violence and visits to accident and emergency.

But they also added that it should be the trade who pays the cost. "The cost for these should be borne by the highly profitable clubbing and brewing industries," the report suggests.

The researchers surveyed clubbers requiring emergency medical services at a large inner city teaching hospital in Liverpool for a period of 12 months.

Almost two thirds sought treatment at the weekend and a third were very drunk on arrival.

Alcohol was to blame in 48 cases. The rest were suffering the effects of ecstasy, liquid ecstasy (GBH), speed, cocaine, or various drug cocktails.

The government is currently trying to tackle the problem of excessive drinking and is consulting on its national alcohol harm reduction strategy, which should be in place by 2004.

The British Beer & Pub Association is working closely with the government on the strategy. Spokesman Mark Hastings said: "What the report fails to mention is that 80 per cent of young people aged 11-16 behave responsibly.

"Drinks companies demonstrate day in and day out that they not only recognise that they need to be socially responsible, but also are clearly acting upon it."

Meanwhile, another report has said that northerners are the country's heaviest drinkers. Around half of men and a quarter of women drink more than the recommended levels, and unfortunately their children tend to follow down the same path.

The Portman Group is the drinks industry's watchdog and was launched in 1996 to ensure that all alcoholic drinks were promoted in a responsible manner that did not appeal to children or encourage anti-social behaviour.