More than one in three of those born in professional households had downed a full glass before reaching their teenage years, the statistics show.
The 35 per cent figure among the middle classes is almost twice the level found among 12-year-olds across all economic groups.
Experts said that most children who had drunk alcohol at such a young age were getting it from their own homes. While some were secretly raiding well-stocked drinks cabinets, many more were being allowed to drink by parents who believed that it would help them to develop more mature attitudes towards alcohol.
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Read the research press release here
