It comes as no surprise that Irish teens are having their first drink at the age of 14.
The revelations are in a report carried out by Drinkaware in a bid to reduce young people's exposure to booze.
But in reality, some are even drinking at 12 or 13 - when they've barely made their Confirmation.
As a teenager myself, I see the pressure on young people to drink.
It's not just the idea of drinking to fit in or being offered drink by an older teen. Alcohol is everywhere.
It's on our TVs, on billboards, radio and all across social media.
It's portrayed as fun and fashionable, an essential to any party, a key factor in enjoying yourself.
What we don't see is the downside of teen boozing.
Kids getting sick and ending up in A&E, or worse. Families torn apart as the constant need of a night out spirals into addiction, often causing mental health issues further down the line.
I think one of the main problems with under-age drinking is that it leads to other substance abuse.
Getting so used to drinking that those few cans just aren't giving enough of a kick anymore.
There are consistent batches of drugs competing for your child's pocket money, and alcohol is the main one.
It was a good move by the government to introduce an act preventing companies from promoting alcohol near schools or playgrounds.
And it's only right, too, that there are no booze ads in cinemas for films under 18 classification.
But this isn't enough.
We need to educate children from a young age in the classroom and at home about the dangers in that bottle of vodka.
