PANIC IN THE STREETS!

[andrewducker]

The head of the Scottish prosecution service has announced that Scotland faced a "real apocalypse" unless it "gets to grips" with over-consumption.*

And underneath that, on the same page of the BBC News it's announced that in the last 9 years the number of under-15-year-olds drinking alcohol once per week has dropped by a third.**

So, which is it? Are the teens drinking more and apocalypsing*** in the streets? Or are they actually better behaved than at any other time in history?

*From
**From
***Not actually a real word.

Comments

[birguslatro]

At what age can you purchase alcohol in Scotland?

[recycled-sales.livejournal.com]

Same thoughts after reading it in the Scotsman. Compared to ten years ago, kids are the healthiest they've been, but because their healthiness hasn't met targets it's a disaster. Madness!

[a-pawson.livejournal.com]

The answer depends on whose data you believe. According to the drinks industry it has been falling.

According to NHS Scotland it has remained pretty much static since 2005 (pdf).

According to the ONS is is falling slightly (pdf).

[vereybowring.livejournal.com]

apocalypsing***

*** Caribbean zombies have a beach party.

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

"Och, you shoulda seen me las' night - I was tortally apocalypsed..."

[sigmonster.livejournal.com]

False antithesis! Teens and young adults are taking less intoxicants than a few years ago, but lauranorder and health problems arise from all ages, so a bulge of (say) 30 to 50 year olds could be drinking more than both their parents *and* their children and be the root cause of the prosecutor's comments.

(She doesn't actually say it's young people associated with criminality, only that alcohol abuse is a health issue for young peopl, which is perfectly true.)

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

Is it possible that fewer teenagers are drinking, but those that are drinking are drinking a lot more?

[momentsmusicaux.livejournal.com]

You 1st para is sort of missing the bit about it being alcohol, maybe?