Boozing Kids 'Drink 28 Alcohol Units A Week'

New statistics reveal thousands of children as young as 10 are having problems with alcohol, eating, sleeping and bullying.

The data was collected from more than 80,000 school children in Years Six, Eight and 10 - between 10 and 15 years old - by the Schools Health Education Unit .

The study found that 4% of 12 and 13-year-olds had drunk 28 or more units of alcohol in the week prior to being surveyed - the equivalent of 19 glasses of wine.

This exceeds the Government's daily unit guidelines for men (three to four units) and women (two to three units).

Three units equate to two small (125ml) glasses of wine (12%) or a whole pint of strong lager (5%) or cider, according to the charity Drinkaware .

The study found a quarter of 14 and 15-year-olds admitted to being drunk once, while 15% admitted to being drunk twice in the week before being surveyed.

Beer, larger and cider are popular choices with boys, while girls are opting for wine and spirits, the study found.

Simon Antrobus, chief executive of the charity Addaction , said: "These new figures back up our own experiences. At Addaction, we know children who drink at younger ages are the ones who need help most.

"We also know that children whose parents misuse alcohol are more likely to develop their own problems later in life.

"It is essential that these children, and their families, have access to specialist support at the earliest possible opportunity."

Almost a third of the Year 10 boys questioned drank at least a pint of beer or lager in the previous seven days, while one in five had had one or more pints of cider.

Of the Year 10 girls questioned, one in five drank at least one measure of spirits in the past week, while 16% had consumed one or more glasses of wine.

Most are drinking at home or the house of a friend or relation, with only a small number buying alcohol from a supermarket, nightclub or off-licence.

The study also asked youngsters about eating, sleeping and bullying.

Girls are becoming image conscious at a younger age it seems, with more than a third of 10 to 11-year-olds saying they were not happy with their weight.

That ratio rises to two-thirds among 14 to 15-year-olds girls.

Two-thirds of 12 to 13-year-olds said they were getting eight or more hours sleep a night, but that number goes down as they get older.

Of girls aged between 14 and 15, 48% said they get enough sleep. While, with boys, it is even fewer - only 41% getting eight hours.

The report also found a third of girls aged 10 to 11, and 29% of those aged 12 to 13, are afraid of going to school because of bullying at least sometimes.

Researchers also found Year 10 boys are the most likely to be bullies themselves.

Six percent of boys aged 14 to 15 said others may fear going to school because of bullies, while 10% admitted they had bullied someone last year.

The National Children's Bureau's Sue Steel, co-ordinator of the Anti-Bullying Alliance, said: "These figures show that being bullied and the fear of bullying in school are serious concerns for significant numbers of children and young people."