Publication, Part of Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People in England
Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People in England, 2021
National statistics, Accredited official statistics
Correction to sources of information on drug use data (part 10)
Following the initial publication it was discovered that around half of pupil responses to the question on 'Sources of helpful information about drug use' had been excluded from the results. This was corrected and the affected tables and commentary have been re-issued.
In Part 10: Young people and drugs: the context, the affected outputs were tables 10.19, 10.20 and 10.21, and the associated chart and commentary in the section on 'Sources of helpful information about drug use'. Though some of the quoted figures changed by 0-3 percentage points, there was no effect to the order of contribution of the most common sources.
4 November 2022 00:00 AM
Part 6: Young people who drink alcohol
Introduction
This part focuses further on the behaviour of pupils who drink alcohol.
Topics covered include:
- where pupils get alcohol.
- where they buy alcohol.
- where they drink and who they drink with.
Most of the analysis is based on ‘current drinkers’: pupils who drink alcohol at least a few times a year. In 2021, 34% of pupils said that they drank alcohol at least a few times a year.
This increased sharply by age, from 8% of 11 year olds to 60% of 15 year olds, and therefore, the age profile of current drinkers is heavily weighted towards older pupils.
Where pupils get alcohol
How pupils obtained alcohol in the last four weeks
This section is based on pupils who obtained alcohol in the last four weeks. Pupils could give more than one answer to this question.
Of pupils who obtained alcohol in the last four weeks, they were most likely to have been given it by parents (75%). Other common sources were to take it from home with permission (50%), and be given it by friends (46%).
8% said they had bought alcohol from a shop or pub in the last 4 weeks, with 15 year olds the most likely to have done so (15% - see table 6.2).
Where current drinkers usually buy alcohol
21% of current drinkers said they usually bought alcohol from friends or relatives, the most common source. 19% said they usually bought alcohol from any retailer or licenced premises, though this was higher for older pupils; 23% of 15 year olds, compared to 14% of 11 to 12 year olds (not show on chart - see table 6.5).
66% of current drinkers said they never buy alcohol, the proportion being higher for younger pupils; 75% of 11 to 12 year olds, compared to 57% of 15 year olds (not shown on chart - see table 6.5).
For more data relating to this section:
Tables 6.2 to 6.6, Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people, 2021
Where pupils usually drink
Where current drinkers usually drink
For this question, pupils were able to give more than one answer.
Pupil's most commonly said they usually drank at home; 76% which is an increase from 66% in 2018. Drinking at someone else's home was the next most common at 42%. 29% said they usually drank at parties with friends, which has fallen from 40% in 2018.
Where current drinkers usually drink, by age
For this question, pupils were able to give more than one answer, and only the most common locations are shown in the chart.
Drinking at their own home was common for current drinkers of all ages. Drinking at parties with friends, and at someone else’s home become more common as pupils get older; 8% of 11-12 year olds reported drinking at parties with friends compared to 42% of 15 year olds.
For more data relating to this section:
Tables 6.8 to 6.10, Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people, 2021
Who pupils usually drink with
Who current drinkers usually drink with
For this question, pupils were able to give more than one answer.
Two thirds (67%) of current drinkers said they usually drank with parents, and 52% said they usually drink with friends.
Pupils who said they usually drank alone rose from 3% in 2018 to 6% in 2021.
Who current drinkers usually drink with, by age
For this question, pupils were able to give more than one answer, and only the most common responses are shown in the chart.
Younger pupils who drank were most likely to say they usually drank with their parents, whereas older pupils were more likely to say they usually drank with friends.
For more data relating to this section:
Tables 6.11 to 6.13, Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people, 2021
Adverse consequences of being drunk
Adverse consequences of drinking for pupils who were drunk in the last four weeks
As reported in part 5, 8% of pupils had been drunk in the last four weeks.
Of these pupils, the most common adverse consequence reported was feeling ill or sick (46%). 26% said they had vomited, 17% had an argument, 15% damaged clothes or other items, and 13% lost money or other items.
For more data relating to this section:
Tables 6.16 and 6.17, Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people, 2021
Last edited: 10 October 2024 11:40 am