Alcohol is available in the UK for just pennies, meaning that kids can get drunk on 50 cents - the cost of half a candy bar.
It's a shocking statistic, and one which has made headline news.
Some stores in the UK are selling alcohol for just 10 pence per unit (around 15 cents). The UK government recommends a daily limit of 2-3 units of alcohol for women, and 3-4 for men. There is no safe limit for under-18s.
The researchers who discovered this were from the Core Cities Health Improvement Collaborative, and spokesperson Deborah Evans has said this:
Young men and women can buy their maximum recommended weekly allowance of alcohol for the price of a small latte coffee or cheap magazine. Meanwhile, the true cost of alcohol is picked up by taxpayers in the form of soaring hospital admissions, crime and anti-social behaviour.
Underage drinking is an increasing problem, threatening kids' health. The UK government is planning to bring in minimum costs per unit of alcohol, to prevent children (and vulnerable adults) getting so much alcohol so cheaply.
Alcohol can kill: either from one binge that ends in tragedy, or long-term drinking which builds up health problems. Don't let candy-bar prices make you think that it's OK to drink excessively - you'll be paying the price in so many other ways.
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