British girls are the biggest teenage binge drinkers in the Western world, a report has revealed.
Statistics show that 50% of 15-year-olds have been drunk at least twice - almost double the 29% average of other developed countries.
Girls also drink more alcohol in the UK than their male counterparts, with only 44% of 15-year-old boys admitting being intoxicated on two or more occasions.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) figures were published in a new report entitled Through the Looking Glass, commissioned by think-tank Demos.
They revealed that between 1998 and 2008, the proportion of girls who binge-drank - defined as consuming more than six drinks per session - increased from 17% to 27%.
As part of the report, which sets out recommendations for a youth policy to empower young women, Demos conducted its own poll of 500 British females aged 16 to 19.
It found 84% were anxious about being able to secure the job they wanted in the future, with 81% also worried about doing well in exams.
Money fears also featured highly, with more than three quarters (76%) saying they were worried about not having enough money, compared with 38% who were anxious about finding a partner and 57% who were worried about getting into university.
Having more cash to spend was ranked as the top answer (27%), when girls were asked what would make them happiest, while in second place was a good or better relationship with their boyfriend, girlfriend or partner (26%).
The poll also found teenage girls thought success at school/college/university (92%), having good friends (72%) and being kind/helping people (70%) would enable them to excel in life. Among respondents 16% were 'not very happy', while 64% were 'quite happy most of the time' and 17% felt 'very happy'.
