Saints not sinners? Young people bucking the trend of binge drinking. An analysis of the drinking trends of school age children in Sunderland

Aims: The main aim of this article was to determine the self-reported drinking behaviours of school age children in Sunderland in the North East of England. The results presented are derived from data collected by a Health Related Behaviour Survey, which was administered by the Schools Health Education Unit (SHEU) of the University of Exeter.

Methods: A total of 8008 schoolchildren (comprising 3839 males and 4178 females in Year 8 and Year 10), completed the questionnaire in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006. Year 8 schoolchildren include 12 and 13 year olds and Year 10 schoolchildren, include 14 and 15 year olds. A total of nine secondary schools were sampled biennially. The data from the questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS Version 15.

Findings: A variety of health and social issues related to alcohol consumption, parental knowledge and protection and the illegal purchasing of alcohol were identified. The survey in Sunderland found little evidence to corroborate previous findings of increased alcohol consumption and indeed binge drinking.

Conclusions: The inferences drawn from the analysis raise some interesting questions relating to the provision of services and long-term health needs of young people.