23 October 2010 Last updated at 05:05 ET

Alcohol Concern calls for end of 'pocket money' alcohol

Alcohol Concern Cymru says the low price of shop alcohol makes it available to young people

A call has made for an end to the "pocket money" price of shop-bought alcohol fuelling under-age drinking.

Alcohol Concern Cymru said shop deals mean the weekly recommended alcohol limit for a man can be bought for less than £4 and a woman's for under £3.

It backs Welsh Assembly Government ministers' bid for power on alcohol licensing and pricing.

The charity said it wanted to see the unit price of alcohol raised to 50p as a way of deterring under-age drinking.

Andrew Misell, the charity's policy manager, said the "ludicrously cheap" price of alcohol saw it on sale in some places for the equivalent of 18p a unit.

He said: "If you take those low prices and you have retailers who are willing to turn a blind eye to underage purchases, then alcohol becomes available for young people.

"This is why we talk about "pocket money" prices. The issue with young people is that they tend to have less money. They may still be in education.

"If you are making alcohol available at such low prices, then young people may be able to get together enough money to buy a couple of litres of strong cider.

"You can get pretty drunk on that."

Paul Marshallsea from the Engine House Youth Club, Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil

"The police reckon there's an 80% reduction in crime and anti-social behaviour since the Engine House has opened.

"At the moment we are still waiting for our funding from the Welsh assembly government, and they're pleading with us, can you please open on a Saturday night because our squad cars are being used as taxis for 12 and 14-year-olds to be run home drunk on a Saturday night.

"It's boredom, they take drugs and they drink because of boredom. They've got nothing else to do.

"I've seen both ends of the stick. My son is already doing 10 years for drugs and alcohol and this is one of the reasons I went out and started the Engine House. It's the word 'boredom' they've got nothing else to do.

"My son's fix was a two litre flagon of cider and then a couple of tamazepans, and wash them down and then you think you're somebody else, probably Superman or Batman. And it takes away all the responsibilities of peer pressure, their exams and whatever else bothers a young person in their lives.

I come back every time: If you fill their lives with something else, with all the good things that young people really want to do, because they don't want to take drugs.

"Honestly, they don't want to take drugs, and they don't want to drink.

"It's the culture when a 17 or 18 year-old goes to town on a Friday or Saturday night. But if you give them an alternative, I believe 80% or 90% of them, wouldn't take alcohol.

"We had 150 of them in on Friday night, we have 130 every night. Now they would rather come to the Engine House and play football or netball, or XBox 360, or sing or drama, or guitar lessons, drumming lessons, or whatever.

"Whatever they want to do, we'll find something for them to do. We are filling their lives with something instead of getting bored."

Paul Marshallsea was talking to BBC Radio Wales

The charity said its research had found some 500 under 16s in Wales were admitted to hospital for alcohol-related problems annually, while 54% of 15-year-old boys and 52% of girls have been drunk at least twice.

The charity's report highlighted the alcohol-related harm reduction strategies used in Cardiff - based on work by hospital surgeon Professor Jonathan Shepherd - which researchers claim has made the Welsh capital the safest city of its size in the UK.

Tony Jewell, Wales' chief medical officer, has called for Welsh ministers to have powers to be able to introduce tougher controls on alcohol to tackle "the binge drinking culture".

Dr Jewell said alcohol was "extremely cheap" compared to 30 years ago.

Mr Misell said the charity welcomed the idea of the assembly government having such powers.

He said: "This is a chance for Wales to lead the way.

"There is not the push from Westminster for a minimum price when there certainly is from the assembly government."

Consultant paediatrician Dr Heather Payne said the annual figures for under age drinking were happening everywhere.

She told BBC Radio Wales: "We have to do something it's an epidemic and it is destroying certain aspects of our society. It's destroying the future for some of our kids.

"I think the problem is that people see the dangers of alcohol as being too remote. They're not.

"The dangers are immediate, not just in the future, where we are seeing young people in their twenties dying from liver failure...so its poisonous."