What's wrong with our drinking culture?

Monday, 8 April, 2002, 10:32 GMT 11:32 UK

A new report highlights the problem of binge drinking among schoolchildren. But it's not simply youthful excess. Experts say there are cultural reasons why the British gulp and others merely sip.

Despite the UK's tough restrictions on alcohol consumption, young Britons are masters of binge drinking.

Up to a quarter of 13 and 14-year-olds say they have "downed" at least five alcoholic drinks in a single session, and 27% of those aged 15 and 16 reported three or more binges in the past month, according to a survey for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

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