NCJ Number
189951
Journal
Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Dated: August 2001 Pages: 233-242
Date Published
August 2001
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study investigated self-reports regarding the ease with which British adolescents were able to purchase alcoholic beverages from various types of outlets.
Abstract
The study involved a classroom survey of pupils (n=6,980, ages 11-16) attending 11 secondary schools located in 4 areas of England. Respondents completed a confidential questionnaire that assessed alcohol purchasing behavior, alcoholic-beverage consumption, and related factors. Overall, 37 percent of the sample were regular (weekly) drinkers, and 21 percent of the sample (56 percent of drinkers) reported buying alcoholic beverages; over 70 percent of drinkers had at some time attempted to buy alcoholic beverages. These figures increased linearly with age. Among the current alcohol buyers, alcohol was purchased equally in off-licenses, corner shops, and pubs, with very little use of supermarkets; the use of pubs increased with age, and the use of other outlets, particularly corner shops, decreased with age. Just over half of the drinkers had been refused a sale; this was reported to occur a little less often in corner shops than in the other types of outlets. Most of the buyers (67 percent) were never or very rarely asked their age; girls were less likely to be challenged on age than boys. Few respondents were familiar with the drink industry's "Prove-It" proof of age card. Respondents reported low levels of anxiety or guilt regarding illegal alcoholic-beverage purchases. 1 table, 2 figures, and 19 references