Research report relating to the impact of alcohol consumption on young people. Examines existing published review literature and summarises the evidence on the harms and benefits of alcohol consumption for children and young people. Also assess the quality of the evidence in this field and its relevance to the UK population while seeking to identify gaps in the research which need to be addressed.

This report was commissioned by the Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), and undertaken by a research team based at the Institute of Health and Society at Newcastle University between May and October 2008.