Worry over teen alcohol harm
Alcohol-fuelled violence, drink-driving and damage to developing brains are the biggest fears of West Australians when it comes to young people drinking.
Research released ahead of leavers' celebrations showed 94 per cent of adults were worried about the risks from out-of- control drinking.
A survey of more than 1000 people last month, commissioned by the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth, showed women in particular were worried about alcohol-caused road crashes and the harm drinking can cause teenage brains.
People aged in their late 20s scored among the highest for concerns about alcohol-related violence and drink-driving.
Half of those surveyed did not believe governments were doing enough to curb binge drinking and 92 per cent called for regular alcohol and drug education in schools. Almost three-quarters said alcohol advertising should be banned from buses and bus shelters.
Centre director Mike Daube said the findings reflected public concern about alcohol and young people and the need for action.
"It is good to see that education campaigns are having an impact, including high awareness of the evidence on alcohol and the developing brain," Professor Daube said.
Researcher Tina Lam, of Curtin University's National Drug Research Institute, said the findings were timely given research showed that though more leavers were abstaining from alcohol, those who did drink were having riskier amounts.
The results showing strong levels of concerns could help parents stick to their guns when it came to saying no to under-age drinking.
"We know parents can influence their children's decisions about drinking, so they need to be quite explicit about whether they approve or not," Dr Lam said.
