UK And Irish Teenagers Among Worst In Europe For Problem Drinking theguardian.com

Young teenagers in the UK and Ireland are among the worst in Europe for drunkenness, health experts say, although alcohol consumption in the age group has fallen significantly across the continent in recent years.

A World Health Organization (WHO) study found that a greater proportion of 15-year-old girls in the UK and Ireland had been drunk at least twice in their lives than in any other European region, while the boys were behind only their counterparts in central-eastern Europe.

However, the UK and Ireland have also seen the greatest decreases in this area: down 22 percentage points to 28% among girls; and down 25 points to 27% among boys. And the number of 15-year-olds drinking on at least a weekly basis in UK and Ireland was among the lowest in Europe.