More than half (52%) of pupils aged between 11 and 15 have had at least one alcoholic drink in their lifetimes. This increases with age from 16% of 11 year olds to 81% of 15 year olds.
The proportion of pupils who have never drunk alcohol has risen in recent years, from 39% in 2003 to 48%in 2008.
The proportion of pupils who drank alcohol in the last week has fallen from a peak of 26% in 2001 to 18%in 2008. Similar proportions of boys and girls drank alcohol in the last seven days, and older pupils are more likely to have done so than younger pupils (from 3%of 11 year olds to 38%of 15 year olds). White pupils are more likely to have drunk alcohol recently than Black or Asian pupils.
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