One In Seven 11-Year-Olds In UK Is Exploring Alcohol Now

Researchers discovered that 11-year-olds in the UK have already started drinking. The study, which examined the behaviors and factors that influence 11-year-olds to drink liquor, was published in the journal BMC Public Health.

Science Daily reports that the study involved 10,498 children aged 11 wherein the researchers analyzed their data. The scholars from University of College of London and the London School of Economics and Political Science found out that almost 14 percent of 11-year-olds had been drinking over a few sips of alcohol at least once. The factors that contribute to their drinking include their friends and their mother's behavior.

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According to a study, most boys were drinking rather than girls. In addition, children whose mothers were considered drinkers were 80 percent more likely to drink alcohol than children whose mothers do not drink. Some of the factors that are related to the children's drinking are antisocial behavior, start of puberty, having social-emotional difficulties and being second- or a later-born child. Other children were not happy with family relationships or lack parental supervision that leads to drinking liquor.

"Drinking in adolescence is considered a 'risky' behavior, it often co-occurs with other 'risky 'behavior and it is linked to educational failure and to premature mortality, for example via accidental deaths," said the lead author of the study, Yvonee Kelly. "Improving our understanding of the factors that influence drinking is important as it has implications for the development of policies and interventions aimed at reducing 'risky' behaviors."

BioMed Central reports that the official guidelines of UK's Department of Health state that children below 15 years old must not drink alcohol. On the other hand, the study shows they do.

Kelly suggests that children must be guided by their parents. They must provide information, best advice and supervision regarding the risks involving drinking. This might help in inhibiting the children to drink liquor which is not essential and good for their welfare.