35% of teens binge drink by age of 13

ABOUT a third of teenagers in Scotland have been binge drinking by the age of 13, according to new research.

The findings came out of a survey of drinking habits in six European countries: Germany, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Scotland. Young people in Scotland came out second in terms of alcohol consumption, topped only by those in the Netherlands.

The study defined binge drinking as consuming five or more alcoholic drinks on one occasion.

The mean age of the 2,937 people questioned in Scotland was 13. Researchers found that 35 per cent of them have had at least one binge-drinking session by that age. This compared with 6 per cent of 13-year-olds in Iceland, the country with the lowest rates among the six.

The survey also revealed that 8 per cent of teenagers in Scotland had drunk to excess at least five times in their life, and 13 per cent admitted binge drinking on between two and five occasions.

The study, published in the scientific journal Pediatrics stated: “Factors that were associated with binge drinking included peer drinking, sensation seeking and rebelliousness, school performance, age and sibling drinking.”