Zero tolerance on alcohol advocated for under 18's in Britain

The top health officials in the UK are warning that under-age children should be told to avoid alcohol.

The zero tolerance approach comes from the the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and says there is no evidence to suggest what constitutes "safe and sensible" levels of alcohol for under-18s and they should not be allowed to drink at all.

The warnings come in the form of guidelines and follow remarks from Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls who says it is wrong to say no teenager should ever have a drink.

The chief executive of NICE, Andrew Dillon says everything possible must be done to delay the onset of drinking and reduce the harmful effects of alcohol use and it is important that there is national guidance for tackling the issue.

NICE says the recommendations focus on encouraging children not to drink, delaying the age at which young people start drinking and reducing the harm it can cause among those who do drink.

Mr Balls says however that the occasional drink was sensible and it is wrong to suggest no teenager should ever have a drink.

He believes it is part of a sensible approach to alcohol for teenagers from time to time to have a drink at home.

He warns of the growing numbers of children who are drinking excessively, and says in France, which lacks Britain's binge-drinking culture, generations of children have been introduced to wine with meals from an early age, and appear to suffer few ill-effects later.

Recent search suggests one in five secondary school pupils regularly drinks.