Getting Junior Cert results is a major milestone in many young people's lives, however alcohol should have no role to play in subsequent celebrations, Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI) has insisted.

This week, thousands of students will receive their Junior Cert results and some of these may choose to celebrate using alcohol despite their young age, the charity has warned.

"Alcohol should play no part in these celebrations, even though some children may feel that they have to drink to celebrate and others may come under pressure to do so despite not wanting to. It is important, for parents in particular, to remind teenagers that alcohol does not have to be part of their lives at a young age and to support them in making healthy decisions.

"Young people themselves should also respect the decision of their friends and peers who choose not to drink alcohol," commented Conor Cullen, AAI's head of communications and advocacy.

He pointed to recent research which suggests that in Ireland, there is a clear age of drinking ‘initiation'. While alcohol does not greatly feature in the lives of most children aged 14 and under, this tends to change when they reach the age of 15.

"Risky drinking behaviour is commonplace among Irish children who drink alcohol from the age of 15 onwards. Far from being a rite of passage, drinking alcohol may well serve to delay the development of vital coping, personal and social skills, project young people into risky situations and lay the ground work for future physical and mental health difficulties," Mr Cullen explained.

He insisted that young people are especially vulnerable to the harms related to consuming alcohol because their bodies and brains are still developing. Furthermore, the younger they start drinking, the more likely they are to have problems with alcohol misuse later in life.

"Therefore delaying the age of drinking initiation is important for a child's health in both the short and long-term. However, this is undoubtedly difficult to achieve as children in Ireland grow up in an alcohol-saturated environment, one in which harmful drinking patterns have been normalised and celebrated by the adults around them," Mr Cullen noted.

He also pointed out that alcohol is now cheaper and more widely available than ever before, and children are influenced by alcohol marketing.

"Alcohol marketing reassures them that alcohol is central to belonging, enjoying life, popularity, sporting prowess, and a seemingly endless list of desirable traits, but the serious risks to their health and wellbeing from alcohol at a young age are notably absent," he said.

AAI is encouraging parents to speak openly to their children about their plans for celebrating their Junior Cert results, including who they will be with, where they will be, how they plan to get home and at what time.

"It is also important to let your child know they can call you without fear of recrimination if things go wrong or they feel unsafe or unwell at any point as a result of alcohol or for any other reason. They need to know that their safety is your number one priority and that they are to contact you immediately if they are in trouble," Mr Cullen said.

AAI also called on alcohol retailers to be particularly vigilant this week in ensuring that they do not sell alcohol to people under the age of 18.

The Junior Cert results are released on September 14.