BINGE DRINKING HITS PRE-TEENS

ULSTER children as young as 10 are involved in regular binge drinking, while
young teenagers are frequent heavy drinkers, a major new study is expected
to show.

While results of the Health Promotion Agency survey of 10 to 16 year-olds
will not be available until later this year, a leading expert today said
concern was growing about alcohol abuse by young people.

And a police spokesman described drinking by children and young teenagers as
"a major social problem".

Experts today issued a health warning to underage drinkers ahead of the
publication of research which is expected to show a tendency towards binge
drinking by a substantial number of young people.

Senior health experts believe it will show they are getting access to
stronger booze and that their drinking habits are also exposing them to even
more dangerous substances like drugs.

The revelations come after police found a nine-year-old drunk in
Ballynahinch a week ago and a special forum was set up in Co Down to discuss
underage drinking.

And in the North West, an alcohol counsellor revealed that the sight of
youths as young as 12 was becoming "all too frequent".

Rob Phipps, alcohol and drugs programme manager with the Health Promotion
Agency, today confirmed that youths as young as ten were recently surveyed
to determine the extent of drinking.

He expected the results to be published before the end of the year.

He added: "While I cannot say until I see the results whether underage
drinking is on the increase, experience and other research tells me there
are more young people drinking in unsupervised places and that they are
binge drinking.

"One issue will be to see if they are doing this to copy the habits of
adults. And one of the concerns we have is the extent to which young people
are accessing stronger beers.

"There are serious health issues to be addressed and the research will help
us formulate a new strategy."Mr Phipps said bingeing young people were at
greater risk of alcohol poisoning than adults.

"The latest available figures show there were 2,449 cases admitted to
hospital in 1996/97 due to an alcohol-related primary or secondary
diagnosis, and 9% of those were aged 18 or under."He also said young people
were at greater risk of experimenting with illicit drugs if they started
drinking at a young age.

An RUC spokesman said underage drinking is becoming a serious problem.

"As the recent case when police found a nine-year-old boy drunk in
Ballynahinch shows, it is a major social problem.

"We have been engaged in a number of initiatives to combat it at a local
level throughout the province, and we keep in close touch with publicans.

"Sadly, there are people who are prepared to sell alcohol to young people,
and others who are willing to buy it for them."