Young ‘are too busy online to drink alcohol’

MOST young people either do not view drinking as important to their social life or are shunning alcohol altogether, according to a think tank.

Demos said declining levels of alcohol consumption among the 16-24 age group represent both a cultural shift and progress by successive governments.

The think tank said the time youngsters spend online has contributed to the fall, as has being less able to afford alcohol than 10 years ago.

The report’s author and head of citizenship at Demos, Jonathan Birdwell, said: “These findings reveal the potential of public policy to both encourage and complement cultural changes, to make a real difference in challenging harmful behaviour.

“But while the trends point in a positive direction, there is still a significant minority of young people indulging in binge drinking, damaging their health, career prospects and society as a whole.

“It is important for us now to direct limited public funds to tackle this pernicious issue at the root cause.”

The survey also found that two in five (41 per cent) of young people questioned said they think alcohol is more important to their parents’ lives than to their own.

The think tank found that one in five (19 per cent) youngsters said they do not drink, while two-thirds (66 per cent) said it was not important to their social lives.

A spokesman for the Portman Group, which represents the alcohol industry, said: “These findings are further proof that education alongside strict enforcement on underage sales are making the difference – a combination that the drinks industry will continue to fund by working in partnership with government.”