Small amounts of alcohol risky for teens

Research has found that teenagers who drink even small amounts of alcohol have a significantly higher risk of engaging in alcohol abuse or risky sexual behaviour as a young adult.

Fairfax newspapers say the study casts doubt on national guidelines that suggest there is a "low risk" level of drinking for under-18s.

Experts say it provides evidence for a move away from the "harm minimisation" approach to teenage drinking and could even fuel a campaign to raise the legal drinking age.

The team at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne say their study, which tracked 1,520 young people's drinking habits over more than 10 years from the mid-teens, shows no "safe" or "sensible" level of drinking for adolescents.

Official guidelines from the National Health and Medical Research Council define a "low risk" level of drinking for adults as fewer than three standard drinks a day.

The researchers found that even at this level, teenagers increased their chances of alcohol abuse, social or legal problems, or alcohol-related high-risk sexual behaviours 10 years later.