Teenagers turn to booze due to boredom: Survey

London, August 5 (ANI): A new survey has discovered that most teenagers turn to alcohol due to boredom.

The research conducted by Drinkaware, a charity that focuses on alcohol abuse, further hinted that summer holidays is the season when youngsters drink the most.

"Research shows that young people drink when they're bored and over the summer holidays this is likely to increase," Sky News quoted Chris Sorek, Drinkaware CEO, as saying.

The survey claimed that almost one-in-10 teenagers aged 16 and 17 drank alcohol at least once a week because they had nothing else to do.

And it expects the number of underage teenagers consuming liquor to soar over the holiday season, as it is the peak period of boredom for them.

As per the report, 61percent of 16 and 17-year-olds will drink alcohol at some point during the summer holidays.

The organisation claims that when the teenagers were asked what would they do if given 20 pounds per week to spend, some 13 percent of those questioned admitted to use it on alcohol instead of spending on shopping, entertainment and transport.

Sorek advises: "If young people are drinking they should eat something beforehand, space their alcoholic drinks with water or soft drinks, look after their mates and if they're out, plan how they're going to get home."

He has apparently planned a scheme to combat teenage drinking called "The Ultimate Day".

The charity intends to hold a competition asking young people to spell out what would make their ideal day after which they will eventually offer five teenagers and their friends the chance to live the dream.

A Drinkaware spokeswoman said that it was going to be difficult to change "entrenched cultural attitudes" which is one of the reasons for the social malaise.

She said: "It's important that young people understood the risks to their health - both mental and physical - if they binge drink. It can have lasting effects." (ANI)