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UK Teen Girls Are The "Worst Drunks" In The World

Dante

By Dante
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Dante Newbie

Dante

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BBC NEWS

 

  • Worst drunkenness: UK
  • Highest rate of bullying: Turkey
  • Most affluent: Norway
  • Best education: Finland
  • Best local environment: Australia
  • Least exercise: Switzerland
  • Best housing: Norway
  • Least risk: Sweden
  • Highest suicide rate: New Zealand
  • Enjoy school most: Turkey
  • Enjoy school least: Czech Republic
  • Most separated parents: United States
  • Fewest separated parents: Italy

 

Young teenagers in the UK are more likely to get drunk than anywhere else in the industrial world, shows an international survey.

 

Girls in particular have pushed up this level of drunkenness in the UK, says a report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

 

Among 15-year-olds, girls are more likely to have been drunk than boys.

 

But the report also says young people in the UK are materially well-off and enjoy a "high quality of school life".

 

The report, Doing Better for Children, compares the well-being of young people living in the leading industrial economies.

 

Growing up

 

This wide-ranging international study shows young people in the UK enjoying generous support as they grow up - with above-average state funding, a high quality of school life, below-average child poverty and low levels of bullying.

 

But in their personal lives, the UK youngsters are characterised by alcohol abuse and high rates of teenage pregnancy.

 

Parents in England, Scotland and Wales are also among the most likely to have separated - with the United States having the lowest proportion of children living with both parents.

 

Drunkenness in the UK is the highest among 24 OECD countries, measured in terms of the proportion of 13 and 15-year-olds having been drunk at least twice.

 

The UK's figure for these under-age drunks - 33% - is more than double the rate for countries such as the United States, France and Italy.

 

Among girls the gap between the UK and other countries is even wider.

 

One in five 13-year-olds in the UK reports having been drunk twice - four times higher than countries such as the United States, Sweden and the Netherlands.

 

Among 15-year-old girls in the UK, 50% reported getting drunk, almost three times higher than their counterparts in France. The rate for boys in the UK in this age group getting drunk is 44%.

 

Risk-taking

"The difference in the UK is the high level of risk taking," says report co-author, Dominic Richardson.

 

As well as young people getting drunk more often there are also unusually high rates of teenage pregnancy, he says.

 

This is despite a background of increased spending on young people - and relatively strong educational performance.

 

"It shows that tackling child poverty is not a magic bullet. Children who are from well-off homes can still have problems," he says.

In terms of abusing alcohol, he says the difference might be the context in which young people first experiment with drink. In France or Italy, youngsters might try drinks in a family environment - where they are less likely to get drunk. In the UK, they might be drinking with other teenagers.

 

"It's down to sensible teaching," he says.

 

The figures on teenage drinking used by the OECD were gathered in 2005-06. More recent figures from the NHS, published in July, suggest that more 11 to 15-year-olds are not drinking any alcohol - but those who do drink are consuming more.

 

'Responsible lives'

 

While the OECD highlights the problems with drinking and teenage pregnancy, it also presents a positive picture of the support available to people growing up in the UK.

 

It says that relative to other countries, children here are "materially fairly well-off".

 

And that "average family income is higher and child poverty is lower than OECD averages".

 

It says that children in the UK also enjoy a high quality of school life and enjoy school much more than many of their international counterparts.

 

Also bullying is less frequent and teenage suicides are less common in the UK than in most other industrialised countries.

 

England's Children's Minister Dawn Primarolo said it was "disappointing to see the UK rated so low for risky behaviours".

 

But she said efforts to eencourage more young people to lead "healthy, safe, fulfilled and responsible lives" were beginning to show results.

 

"Recent statistics have shown encouraging decreases in teenage conceptions during the first half of 2008, that fewer teenagers than ever before are choosing to drink alcohol and we know that drug use among young people is falling."

 

The minister also said she was "delighted to see that the record investment in education is paying off with the UK performing substantially better than the OECD average for quality of school life".

 

Shadow Schools Minister Nick Gibb said: "The low levels of social mobility and high levels of inequality are a serious cause for concern."

 

I am surprised that Turkey has the most bullying and most enjoyment in school.

fex Newbie

fex

Posted
Posted
BBC NEWS

 

  • Worst drunkenness: UK
  • Highest rate of bullying: Turkey
  • Most affluent: Norway
  • Best education: Finland
  • Best local environment: Australia
  • Least exercise: Switzerland
  • Best housing: Norway
  • Least risk: Sweden
  • Highest suicide rate: New Zealand
  • Enjoy school most: Turkey
  • Enjoy school least: Czech Republic
  • Most separated parents: United States
  • Fewest separated parents: Italy

 

 

 

I am surprised that Turkey has the most bullying and most enjoyment in school.

 

I guess kids enjoy bullying

Ashley Community Regular

Ashley

Posted
Posted

Kids enjoy bullying. Ergo exactly 50% are bullying and enjoying it, and the other 50% are being bullied. ;)

 

And surely if teen girls are looking to get drunk than they are the best, and most successful, drunks?

danny Newbie

danny

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I bet it's happening mainly in Essex, Derby and Nottingham.

 

I dont think so. Its pritty much wide spread nation wide. And everyone knows southern fairys cant drink as well as us northen monkeys.

Fierce_LiNk Newbie

Fierce_LiNk

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I remember reading somewhere about Finland having a great education system. I also think I read that they are one of the top countries for pupil support, so that they feel valued. On that same list, for bad pupil behaviour, the UK was pretty near the bottom. We were given it at University, and I'm going to try and track it down now as it was a great read.

 

UK Teen Girls the worst drunks: I wouldn't particularly look at that statement and disagree with it. If the UK isn't the worst nation for drunks, then we're still one of the worst. Granted, everyone likes a drink every now and again, but I think there is a big problem with people who just drink constantly week in week out, especially teenagers.

EEVILMURRAY Enthusiast

EEVILMURRAY

Posted
Posted
I remember reading somewhere about Finland having a great education system. I also think I read that they are one of the top countries for pupil support, so that they feel valued. On that same list, for bad pupil behaviour, the UK was pretty near the bottom. We were given it at University, and I'm going to try and track it down now as it was a great read.

 

UK Teen Girls the worst drunks: I wouldn't particularly look at that statement and disagree with it. If the UK isn't the worst nation for drunks, then we're still one of the worst. Granted, everyone likes a drink every now and again, but I think there is a big problem with people who just drink constantly week in week out, especially teenagers.

Plus the delightful behaviour of football hooliganism doesn't help. Although I'm sure some are just "drunk" on bullshit loyalty to their team.

Fierce_LiNk Newbie

Fierce_LiNk

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Plus the delightful behaviour of football hooliganism doesn't help. Although I'm sure some are just "drunk" on bullshit loyalty to their team.

 

Football hooliganism wouldn't have a huge effect on teenage girls, though, I'd bet. It is part of the wider picture, but I also don't think that it's a problem which is solely UK-Exclusive. Hooliganism in football does take place abroad, but the British do seem notorious for it.

EEVILMURRAY Enthusiast

EEVILMURRAY

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Posted
It is part of the wider picture, but I also don't think that it's a problem which is solely UK-Exclusive. Hooliganism in football does take place abroad, but the British do seem notorious for it.

The wider picture is what I was going for yeah, that and the drunk broads are giving us young strapping British blokes a bad name.

Fierce_LiNk Newbie

Fierce_LiNk

Posted
Posted
The wider picture is what I was going for yeah, that and the drunk broads are giving us young strapping British blokes a bad name.

 

Hmm, it would be a shame if somebody did take a look at those earlier facts and think "damn, the British are all drunk and...pissed! Especially their females!"

 

Its a generalisation, so it doesn't mean that every British person is a terrible drunk. Just...a hell of a lot of teenage girls. Daaamn.

EEVILMURRAY Enthusiast

EEVILMURRAY

Posted
Posted
Hmm, it would be a shame if somebody did take a look at those earlier facts and think "damn, the British are all drunk and...pissed! Especially their females!"

Exactly. It'd come back to haunt us somehow.

danny Newbie

danny

Posted
Posted
Football hooliganism wouldn't have a huge effect on teenage girls, though, I'd bet. It is part of the wider picture, but I also don't think that it's a problem which is solely UK-Exclusive. Hooliganism in football does take place abroad, but the British do seem notorious for it.

 

There isnt a big football hooliganism problem in britain any more. Well not compared to other countrys Italy, Argentina and others. With the exception of what happened the other week were pritty good now.

Jimbob Rookie

Jimbob

Posted
Posted

It's all these "Alcopops" that are cheaply available in pubs/clubs and shops. Teenage women can easily convince people that they are older than they are, my sister is one of these who made several shop assistants believe she was 19 whilst she was really 15.

jayseven Newbie

jayseven

Posted
Posted
I was led to believe we Danes occupied a pretty high place on the list of worst drinkers.

 

Seriously? Why? Of course I'm speaking only from personal experience, but the UK youth are utterly shockingwith their drunkeness... Avoid like the flood.

Sanchez Newbie

Sanchez

Posted
Posted (edited)
Or Scotland, considering our whole culture is based around binge drinking.

This seems to be completely true from my experience working for a taxi company and the people I know who come from lower class families, there's a truly incredible obsession with drinking. It's really ostracising if you don't want to drink.

 

It's seriously impossible to have a conversation with these people that doesn't revolve around how much they drunk last time they went out, or yesterday's game. On that note has anyone else been pissed off by those Sun adverts. "Sorts the fans from the numpties". Assholes.

Edited by Sanchez
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