Survey shows attitudes to drink changing

Commissioned by Trading Standards North West, the study looked into the smoking and drinking habits of more than 7,000 young people aged 14 to 17 across the North West.

Some 2,185 young people from Lancashire responded to the survey and the results show significant reductions in young people’s drinking and smoking:

Around 41 per cent of young people who took the survey say that they never drink alcohol – the figure in 2005 was just 13 per cent.

However 60 per cent of young people who drink alcohol say that their parents buy or give alcohol to them.

In terms of smoking, only one in 10 said they currently smoke, down from one in six in 2013.

A worrying new finding for 2015 however is that more than one in 20 youngsters have tried so-called ‘legal highs’, at least once.

County Coun Azhar Ali, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “Lancashire is heading in the right direction and we will continue to support our young people.”