While it is important to be informed about the extent and consequences of alcohol use by young people, perhaps the most important question we must ask is what we can do to tackle it. For many of us, looking at our own lives and homes is a good place to start. Research has shown that for the very young, those under 15 years, the most common sources of alcohol are taking from the drink supply at home, being given it by their parents or having older siblings or friends buy it for them. The research commissioned by my Department in particular established this basic social pattern of how the habit of consumption is initiated. A careless attitude towards the household drinks cabinet can demonstrate a casual ambivalence towards alcohol and be a ready source for a vulnerable child. Equally, patterns of purchase and transfer of alcohol can contribute to the forming of that habit.