Ladette girls 'outdrink the boys'

Boys were more likely to stay in

Teenage girls in Scotland have been outdoing boys when it comes to drugs, drinking, smoking and going out, a study of 15-year-olds has revealed.

Researchers also discovered an increase in hooliganism among young women.

Girls were apparently increasingly likely to loiter on the street corners while boys have become more inclined to stay at home.

Experts found boys were still more likely to play computer games than their female counterparts.

Ladettes - defined as young women who behave in a boisterously assertive or crude manner and engage in heavy drinking sessions - have become a more common part of modern society.

The reason for the dramatic rise in drink and drug use by girls may be explained by the finding that such activities were more associated with outdoor lifestyles.

Increased freedom

Teenagers were less likely to smoke, drink alcohol or take banned substances while doing hobbies in the home, the authors of the leisure study found.

The probe was carried out by Medical Research Council (MRC) scientists from the Social and Public Health Sciences Unit at the University of Glasgow.

Spokeswoman, Dr Helen Sweeting, said: "Up until the last few decades of the 20th century, the leisure time of teenage girls was more likely to revolve around their homes or shops while boys were more likely to go out.

"Reduced constraints on female behaviour have resulted in both greater social freedom and more equal opportunities. But freedom and opportunities also bring some risks."

The survey spanned more than a decade - from 1987 to 1999.

It compared 3,000 youngsters in Glasgow, who were interviewed in their homes.