A new report has found UK teenagers are more likely to get drunk than those in other European countries.

Despite the Government spending millions on welfare and education, there has been little progress in addressing the binge-drinking problem.

The study by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) looked at teenagers in 30 countries. In the UK, a third of 13-15 year-old surveyed said they have been drunk at least twice – the highest rate of all the countries who participated. The report also found that 15 year-old girls were more likely to have been drunk than boys.

The authors of the study also warned that child wellbeing and teenage pregnancy was poor in the UK and concluded that not enough was being spent on young and disadvantaged children.

Drinking at such an early age can potentially lead to alcohol addiction later in life.

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