Children were more likely to drink with parents during the pandemic - with a lack of parental discouragement of alcohol the factor most associated with the likelihood of young people trying alcohol.
A new NHS Digital survey looking at drinking, smoking and drug taking among those aged 11 to 15 shows that generally this group of pupils are less likely to participate in these behaviours than previous generations. However, more young people are using e-cigarettes.
The survey found two-thirds (67%) of current drinkers - those who drink alcohol at least a few times a year - in 2021 usually drank with their parents. That was the highest proportion since the question was first asked in 1996, when 39% usually drank with their parents.
There was also a rise in the proportion saying they drink with siblings or other relatives, as well as alone. However, there was a fall in the proportion drinking with friends or a girlfriend or boyfriend, likely reflecting who people were more likely to spend time with during the pandemic.
Broken down by age, 8% of 11-year-olds were classed as ‘current drinkers’ rising to 60% of 15-year-olds. Of those who drank at least once a month, 75% of them were given alcohol by their parents. Other common sources were to take it from home with permission (50%), and be given it by friends (46%).
Nuno Albuquerque, Consultant Treatment Lead at the alcohol specialists the UK Addiction Treatment Group, described the figures as really quite worrying.
He said: "Why are parents comfortable with their 11- and 12-year-old children drinking alcohol? It all comes down to a deep misunderstanding of how damaging alcohol can be to a child's mental and physical development.
"Alcohol is a toxin, and beginning to drink before the age of 14 is proven to be linked to increased health risks, being involved in violence and even suicidal thoughts and attempts. It really is that serious."
The NHS Digital figures show the factors most associated with drinking in the last week. Pupils whose parents don't mind if they drink, but not too much, are six times more likely to drink than those whose parents do mind, and those whose parents don't mind however much they rink are 17 times more likely to have consumed alcohol in the past week.
Overall, in 2021, 40% of pupils said they had ever had an alcoholic drink, compared to 44% in 2018. In terms of regular drinkers, 6% of all pupils said they usually drank alcohol at least once per week, the same as in 2018.
The proportion of pupils who have ever tried smoking continues to fall. In 2021, 12% of 11- 15-year-old pupils had ever smoked, down from 16% of pupils in 2018, and is the lowest level ever recorded by this survey.
There has been a steady decline since 1996, when 49% of pupils had smoked at least once. The 12% of pupils who had ever smoked consisted of regular smokers (1% of pupils), occasional smokers (2%), those who used to smoke (2%), and those who have tried smoking (7%).
However, the proportion of pupils classified as current e-cigarette users has increased from 6% in 2018, to 9% in 2021. The rise in current use was not seen for lifetime use, as 22% of pupils reported they had ever used e-cigarettes, compared to 25% in 2018.
Pupils who had ever smoked were much more likely to also have ever used an e-cigarette, than those who had never smoked, with 56% of ex-smokers current e-cigarette users. Regular smokers who were regular e-cigarette users has more than doubled from 29% in 2018 to 61% in 2021.
Only 1% of pupils who had never smoked were regular e-cigarette users.
The proportion of pupils who have taken drugs also fell last year. In 2021, 18% of pupils reported they had ever taken drugs, down from 24% in 2018.
