Young people should not drink any alcohol until at least the age of 15, reports new guidance from the Chief Medical Officer for England. If 15 to 17 year olds do drink alcohol they should do so on no more than one day a week and only in the presence of a parent or carer in a supervised environment.

Launching the guidance, Liam Donaldson said, “There is a really formidable list of diseases and injury associated with alcohol consumption. But on top of this the developing brain is particularly vulnerable. Drinking alcohol causes subtle degrees of brain damage leading to memory problems and difficulties …