Under 25s in West Sussex are “ditching the drink”

More under 25s are “turning the tide” by shunning alcohol, according to a public health boss in West Sussex.

Holly Yandall, public health lead for alcohol and drugs, responded to promising research from UCL which found nearly a third of 16 to 24-year-olds said they don’t drink, compared to 2005 when it was one in five.

She said: “It’s really good news that more and more young people are making healthier lifestyle choices and are proving that it’s absolutely possible to socialise and have fun without drinking.

“Alcohol is one of the three biggest lifestyle risk factors for disease and death in the UK, after smoking and obesity, and yet there can be a perceived stigma about choosing not to drink.”

The NHS defines binge drinking as “drinking lots of alcohol in a short space of time or drinking to get drunk”. For men, this is having over 8 units in a single session and over 6 units for women.

In West Sussex the 2014 What About YOUth survey discovered 19.7 percent of 15-year-olds said they were drunk in the past four weeks.

Public Heath England revealed that women under 18 in Mid Sussex were admitted to hospital more than men because of alcohol.

In 2017, 36.6 percent per 100,000 of women were admitted to hospital compared to 24.3 percent of men.

This could be because young women are becoming used to drinking out of habit, which is encouraged by phrases such as “wine o’clock”.

The rate of under 18s being admitted to hospital due to alcohol is similar to the England average, which is 34.2 percent. In Mid Sussex, the figure stands at 30.3 percent.

Ms Yandall said the benefits of campaigns such as Dry January are that “participants lose weight, have improved mood, sleep better and save money, and many plan to continue drinking less or remaining alcohol free at the end of the challenge”.