UNDERAGE drinking in Ballarat will be under the spotlight this year as researchers work to establish whether there has been an increase in the region.
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A recent study showed that 52.7 per cent of Ballarat Year 7 students reported previous alcohol use, compared with 39.8 per cent in the rest of the state.
Chairman in Health Psychology at Deakin University Professor John Toumbourou said Ballarat had some of the highest levels of youth drinking in regional Victoria. He said the findings, which were taken from a 2009 survey, would be compared with the results of another study taken later this year.
“The trend seems to be stronger in some of the regional cities and Ballarat is a place that does seem to have a problem,” he said.
Professor Toumbourou said many young people got alcohol from their parents, who were perhaps hoping to regulate their intake in a “European-style” way.
He advocated abstinence from alcohol for all young people until they reach 18 and their developing brains could better handle it.
Professor Toumbourou said many staff were not checking for ID when selling alcohol, meaning young people were gaining access to it without their parents’ knowledge.
He also said there was an attitude in the community of being pessimistic about the problem, which does not help the high rates.
“There’s lots of room for Ballarat to reduce those rates. The evidence is that you will reduce alcohol intake, you will reduce health problems later on.”
tom.cowie@fairfaxmedia.com.au
