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• Government advice on young people and alcohol
• When to talk to children about alcohol
• Is it dangerous for under 18s to drink?
• The law surrounding under 18s and alcohol
• Vox pop interviews with parents
• Advice to give your children about alcohol
• Professor Paul Wallace on alcohol and under 18s

Government advice on young people and alcohol

The Chief Medical Officer's official guidelines on alcohol for under 18s.

There have been government guidelines on alcohol for adults for many years. They say that men should drink no more than 3-4 units per day and women 2-3 units. However, it wasn’t until 2009 that the Chief Medical Officer for England and Wales issued guidelines on alcohol for under-18s and their parents. The guidance says (1):

• Children and their parents and carers are advised that an alcohol-free childhood is the healthiest and best option. However, if children drink alcohol, it should not be until at least the age of 15 years.
• If young people aged 15 to 17 years consume alcohol, it should always be with the guidance of a parent or carer or in a supervised environment.
• Parents and young people should be aware that drinking, even at age 15 or older, can put your health at risk and that not drinking is the healthiest option for young people. If 15 to 17 year olds do consume alcohol, they should do so infrequently and certainly on no more than one day a week. Young people aged 15 to 17 years should never exceed recommended adult daily limits and, on days when they drink, consumption should usually be below such levels.
• The importance of parental influences on children’s alcohol use should be communicated to parents, carers and professionals. Parents and carers require advice on how to respond to alcohol use and misuse by children.
• Support services must be available for children and young people who have alcohol-related problems and their parents.
  

The Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive both promote similar ideas.

Footnotes

(1) Guidance on the consumption of alcohol by children and young people. A report by the Chief Medical Officer