At this time of year with the sunshine and local common-ridings and festivals, everyone feels like a party, but at what cost? write Becca Barber and Shanna Johnston .
Research suggests eight out of ten under-18s have tried alcohol, and some young people admit to drinking regularly while others just drink on special occasions.
One 14-year-old girl told us she feels the need to drink because it’s fun and drinks to excess because she enjoys it, but how many young people truthfully enjoy the taste of alcohol? And it surely can’t be fun to feel sick, scared or unsteady on your feet.
PC Lauder, of Lothian and Borders Police feels: “Some young people drink because they could be peer pressured into it, to be like their friends.” The worst underage drinking case she was involved in “… was when a 13-year-old girl couldn’t stop being sick behind the police car.”
We all want to enjoy the summer, but we need to keep safe. If someone in your company is under the influence of alcohol and seems at risk or unsteady/sick, stay with them. Don’t leave them alone, and try your best to keep them calm and safe (and awake if they’re not home in bed!).
If you’re worried, call an adult you trust for help, or in extreme cases, the emergency services. You might not want to get your friend into trouble but it’s far more important that they’re safe and well.