Research by Oxford University’s Health Experiences Research Group published on the DIPEx website — youthhealthtalk — reveals that today’s teenage binge-drinkers and substance abusers may engage in risky behaviour.

But, surprisingly, it also reveals that most are just ‘going through a stage’ and are likely to be living far more moderately by their mid-twenties This is based on the experience of 33 young people in their teens and early twenties, from all walks of life, who describe, in detail, their experiences of drugs and alcohol on the award-winning website, www.youthhealthtalk.org, sister website of healthtalkonline.org.

The new site was funded by the Department of Health and is considered a unique, evidence-based qualitative study of young people’s experience of drugs and alcohol. The aim of this project was to get into the minds of these young people but also, to provide access to today’s younger generation, who might be thinking of taking drugs or binge-drinking, with real stories about the consequences of these actions to give them an insight into what can happen, consequently leading them to make a better-informed decision.

“Binge drinking or drug-taking is almost a rite of passage for young people today,” said Dr Maria Salinas, of the Health Experiences Research Group at Oxford University’s Department of Primary Health Care, who carried out the interviews.

“It’s something most young people do in their teens and early twenties particularly when clubbing, attending festivals or during the first year of university — and then they get over it and live more moderately.

“Rather than worrying that a 14-year-old who smokes a spliff or drinks cider with their mates is embarking on a life of addiction, what’s important is for them to understand the potential risks associated with their behaviour,” she said. The study also challenged parents’ fears that their children are likely to start drinking or drug-taking as a result of bullying and it stressed that parents should focus on providing security and information. “The respondents told us that peer pressure is rarely the trigger for starting drugs and alcohol,” said Dr Salinas.

“Indeed, friends can often support the decision not to start risky behaviour.” And although relationships can be strained when young people do engage in this behaviour, “many of the young people said that they appreciated parental guidance on drinking in moderation and that having rules imposed provided a sense of security — or at least they felt that in the long term,” said Dr Salinas.

To find out more about the research, visit youthhealthtalk.org