Alcoholic Drinks: Children and Young People

(asked on 27th January 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the accessibility of the Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines on consumption of alcohol by children and young people.


Answered by
Gillian Keegan Portrait
Gillian Keegan
Secretary of State for Education
This question was answered on 2nd February 2022

The United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers’ low risk drinking guidelines do not include specific guidelines on consumption of alcohol by children and young people. However, advice on alcohol consumption is available at NHS.UK, the Talk to FRANK online resource, and GOV.UK.

The National Health Service provides advice that alcohol use in teenage years is related to a range of health and social problems and recommends that children and young people do not drink alcohol before the age of 18 years old. This guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/childrens-health/should-my-child-drink-alcohol/

Education on alcohol use is also a statutory component of relationships education, relationships and sex education and health education in England.

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