Family action urged over child drinking

More than half of young people who have drunk alcohol say they are usually given it by their parents, according to a study commissioned by the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

And children in households where adults drink heavily are more likely to drink themselves.

New cinema adverts targeted at young people as part of the Why Let Drink Decide? campaign will show the risks associated with alcohol.

Councils will be handed "good practice guides" to help them to work with other services, such as the police, to stop under-age drinking from becoming a problem in their area.

More than 2,000 youngsters were playing in a Kickz football tournament yesterday, which was to encourage those taking part to have discussions about the dangers of under-age drinking.

Parents will be given advice on under-age drinking to allow them to talk to their teenagers about the issue.

Research, in which more than 4,000 parents, children and young people were questioned, revealed one in four (26 per cent) of youngsters said a parent had never talked to them about alcohol; 17 per cent of parents said they had thought about what to do if drinking was a problem for their child, but eight in 10 said they would just deal with it when it happened.

Schools Minister Vernon Coaker said: "Today's research shows that parents underestimate their influence over their child's drinking and attitudes to alcohol, yet a quarter of young people have never spoken to their parents about the issue. That's why through the Why Let Drink Decide? campaign we are giving parents and young people the confidence to have open conversations about alcohol, to ultimately delay the age at which young people start drinking.

"Some young people need more help, support and fun alternatives to drinking, which is why we are launching the Kickz Cup 2010 today."