Child drink ban 'won't stop binges'

Alcohol Concern made the recommendation as part of a wide-ranging set of proposals to cut child drinking. It highlighted figures - first published in November last year by the NHS - that showed the amount of booze consumed by 11 to 13-year-olds has rocketed in recent years.

The Portman Group, set up by drinks producers which together supply the majority of the alcohol sold in the UK, said there was a case for raising the drinking age. But it pointed out that the continent does not suffer from binge-drinking issues and children there are given moderate amounts of alcohol in a controlled way.

Its chief executive David Poley said: "There is a case for raising the drinking age at home from five, but 15 seems too high.

"On the continent, parents give children small amounts of alcohol at home with their meals in a controlled way so they get used to drinking in moderation. They don't suffer from binge-drinking issues."

He said the proposal would not tackle the root of the problem - unsupervised drinking by children in places such as parks.

He said: "It should be left to parents to decide when to allow their children to drink. Saying no to children will only increase the appeal of alcohol and could create even more problems."

The Portman Group was established to encourage responsible drinking and help prevent alcohol misuse.

The NHS figures showed that girls in the 11 to 13 age group who had drunk alcohol in the previous week admitted to consuming an average of just over eight units in 2006, compared with just under five in 2000.

And boys admitted drinking an average of 12 units last year compared with eight in 2000, the survey by special NHS trust the Information Centre showed.