To cut dangerous underage boozing we need to change our drinking habits – here’s why
NEW figures show that knife and gun crime, robbery and theft are all on the rise in the UK, along with another dangerous offence – underage drinking.
The World Health Organisation has examined data from more than 280,000 children in 44 countries aged 11, 13 and 15 who were asked about their use of cigarettes, vapes and alcohol.
It found that in England, a third of 11-year-olds and half of 13-year-olds have consumed alcohol.
That makes us the worst in the world when it comes to underage drinking and experts believe kids are mirroring the behaviour of those parents who drink at home and “normalise” it.
Is it any wonder? Drinking at home has become a common habit in recent years.
Gone are the days when you would go to the local pub with your mates after work for a few before heading home — because so many of us now work where we live.
And thanks to fragmented families and grandparents often living miles away, if we do want to go out it is a gigantic hassle that involves a lot of planning and a hefty babysitting bill.
The WHO survey was conducted in 2020 and 2021, when the Covid lockdowns escalated our at-home booze binges.
It became acceptable for us to have wine, beer or a G&T at home.
We could go to the online grocery shop and get it delivered to our doors.
If really stuck, we could always resort to over-priced Deliveroo or Uber Eats.
For many of us, having alcohol in the house has stuck.
Wine o’clock starts in the kitchen as soon as the hard day’s work is over and when the kids are nicely back from school to witness every single second of it.
This new research showed that kids from middle-class families are more likely to drink, which, you imagine, is because they have more money to stockpile the booze.
And our rates for underage drinking in England are far higher than those in France and Italy, where children are allowed a watered-down wine at the dinner table but, unlike us, the adults sip booze over long al fresco lunches, rather than necking it at home.
The figures for England are terrifying when you think that alcohol can cause cancer, immunity problems and poor performance rates in school.
Go to extreme
Having a relaxing drink at home at the end of the day is a reward that many parents love.
But if it is such a regular habit that our 11 and 13-year-olds think it is OK for them to give it a go too, then it can never be acceptable and we need to take stock.
We could try warning them of the dangers, discussing the health issues and explaining that some things are for adults and others are for kids.
We could go to the extreme of keeping all the booze under lock and key so they can never get their hands on it.
But surely that would have them running to buy vodka to drink in the park as soon as they could say “fake ID”.
So maybe the most sensible — and healthy — solution is for us to actually change our habits and drink in moderation.
And when we do booze at home, maybe make sure there are no children watching us.
Bra-vo on 30 years of glam
AGENT Provocateur has just turned 30.
That’s 30 years of shocking adverts, iconic undies, nipple tassels and female empowerment.
And it’s all thanks to The Sun . . . and Katie Price.
At their birthday bash this week, the company’s creative director said that in 1994 the young model loved going out and about in her undies and featuring on The Sun’s front page.
The company has had its ups and downs but it is one of our sexiest success stories.
Happy birthday!
Horse chaos tragic
THE pictures of terrified Household Cavalry horses running through the streets of London were heartbreaking.
Five people, including three soldiers who were riding, were injured during a six-mile stampede after the horses bolted because they heard the loud noise of concrete dropping on the ground in construction work.
Poor Vida the grey was seen covered in blood after smashing into a taxi but now is back at barracks after having treatment.
It later emerged that Vida has a history of being spooked and even allegedly kicked a soldier in the head during the Coronation last year.
It looks unlikely Vida will return to duty.
The streets of a busy, noisy capital are no place for a horse like that.
What a police farce
LAST Sunday I spent the evening trying my best to contact the police after being in a car crash that involved myself, another driver and two lads hurtling along on one push-bike like a pair of idiots.
They crashed between the vehicles, landed head first on the floor before darting in opposite directions.
Google told me that this wasn’t a 999 case as the lads, who could have potentially life-threatening concussion, had fled, so I dialled 101.
They in turn told me this was too serious for them to deal with, so put me in a queue for the Greater Manchester control room.
I gave up after 90 minutes and resorted to filling out an online form.
It took four days for someone to get in touch and ask how they could help.
I had one question for the officer.
How should you really try to contact the police in a case like this?
He was friendly, lovely – but he told me he didn’t really know.
Marvellous.
Is it any wonder we have lost faith in our cops?
Student fury
STUDENTS at Fitzwilliam College in Cambridge are furious that exasperated housekeepers took photos of their untidy bedrooms and kitchens, which were then sent around in an email to all their mates.
It read: “An illustration of what housekeeping DO NOT want to see on their weekly visits”.
Instead of doing the decent thing and rushing to their college accommodation to tidy up, they whinged that it was a “massive invasion of privacy” and “deeply embarrassing”.
What is deeply embarrassing is that these lazy Gen Z moaners don’t actually clean their own rooms . . . and treat the housekeepers with such utter contempt.
King so missed
THE King is back! Charles may still be undergoing treatment but he has been given the green light to return to duties on Tuesday, just 11 weeks after being diagnosed with cancer.
The Royal Family has seemed more fragile without Charles and Kate on royal duties.
Finally some happy – and glorious – news.
Go for it Gran
A CARE home resident celebrated her 104th birthday with a male stripper who performed a lap dance as she rubbed oil into his body.
Tattooed Gary Maloney was booked by her son as part of a “wish initiative”.
But critics still turned their noses up and slammed it as “cheap and nasty” and “inappropriate”.
I think by the time you get to 104 you don’t really give a damn about being appropriate.
I hope the birthday girl and her care home mates loved every second.
Tantric sticks
STING looked in amazing shape for his 72 years as he shook hands with Selena Gomez, who was sitting next to him at a Knicks basketball game in New York’s Madison Square Garden this week.
He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time and has a CBE.
But whenever I see a photo of him or hear his name I just can’t help thinking . . . “tantric sex”.