Great Britain has worst rate of child alcohol consumption in world, report finds

Research also found more than a third of boys and girls had consumed alcohol by the age of 11. Photograph: Jeff Blackler/Rex Features

Great Britain has the worst rate of child alcohol abuse worldwide, and more than half of children in England, Scotland and Wales have drunk alcohol by the age of 13, according to a report.

The study, one of the largest of its kind by the World Health Organization (WHO), looked at 2021-22 data on 280,000 children aged 11, 13 and 15 from 44 countries and regions who were asked about alcohol, cigarettes and vape usage.