Mandy began drinking when she was about 13 and started hanging out with her friends in Brighton.

The gang would steal bottles or cans of cider and lager from their parents' homes or persuade older friends to buy it for them from off-licences.

Mandy thought it was a social thing and wasn't too worried about the amount she was drinking.

Then she began having problems with bullying at school and started to play truant.

While her parents thought the teenager was safely in the classroom, Mandy was heading for recreation grounds and the town centre to drink.

Now 15, she said: "I just felt it was the only way to cope. I hated school because there was a group of kids which kept on teasing me and picking fights. So I decided not to go any more.

"I was feeling really fed up and depressed. When I drank, it made me feel good for a while and forget about what was happening.

"I was getting through a big bottle of cider every day and a couple of cans of lager. I used to go to different shops so people wouldn't get suspicious. I look old for my age so I didn't have many problems."

Eventually, Mandy's school contacted her parents because of her constant absences. The true story came out.

She is now getting help and advice from a therapist to improve her self-esteem and stop her from turning to the bottle for support.

She has changed schools and is feeling more positive about life.

However, Mandy's story of bullying and alcohol problems is not unique.

The annual public health report issued by East Sussex, Brighton and Hove Health Authority shows about half of 14 to 15-year-olds drink regularly and ten per cent drink above the recommended limit for adults.

More than a third of boys and more than a quarter of girls are bullied at school.

Other statistics in the report reveal:

More than 1,000 children across East Sussex, Brighton and Hove live in families which need rehousing
More than 50 girls aged 14 to 17 have anorexia and more than 500 have bulimia
The UK has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in western Europe; areas in Brighton, Hastings and Eastbourne are even higher
Eighteen girls aged under 16 had a baby in 1999
Hundreds of teenagers are admitted to Sussex emergency departments each year because of self harm
Two people under 19 killed themselves in 1999
There are 530 children on the child protection register
Forty-two per cent of young men and 63 per cent of young women aged 16 to 24 don't do enough exercise.

Graham Bickler, director of public health at the authority, said: "It is clear in some areas we are failing and we know we can do better.

"We are taking strong steps to tackle these problems by working closely with our partners in health organisations and with schools and councils."

This year the authority has concentrated on young people's health and its report has been designed as an eye-catching magazine full of facts, figures and advice.

Despite the bright colours and graphics, the report carries a serious message about a variety of social and health problems.

Dr Bickler said: "We decided to look at young people's health and got in contact with schools and youth groups to find out what concerns and issues were on their mind.

"What came back is what we have concentrated on in the report."

The authority has used the new format so the report can be sent out to schools and youth organisations and used as a teaching aid.

The results have not revealed any major surprises to the authority.

Dr Bickler said: "The only area that did cause a surprise was the number of young people suffering from bulimia. There are about 500 cases across the area which is pretty high and will be looked at."

The aim now is to concentrate on working with families and young parents to offer help and advice on a range of issues.

The authority wants to look at the increasing number of children who are classed as clinically obese and work on ways to encourage more exercise.

Dr Bickler said: "It is clear this report is not specifically concentrating on health issues because a large number of these cannot be separated from social issues."

There are many projects already up and running and plans in the pipeline aimed at improving the health of young people.

The Talking Drugs project in Brighton enlists teenage former addicts to visit schools and youth groups to explain the effects of taking drugs.

There are also alcohol treatment services such as Xtrax, in Hastings, Open Door, in Eastbourne, and On the Level, in Brighton.

A drama project at Hove Park School, in Hove, helped young people explore the pressures to smoke and the dangers of smoking.

The New Deal scheme in East Brighton is also working on ways to tackle the health of young people on the Moulsecoomb and Whitehawk estates.

Billy Dann, strategic healthy community co-ordinator, says plenty is already being done and more is planned for the future.

Measures include developing a healthy living centre which will provide a range of services including advice on sexual health and teenage pregnancy and general health problems.

The scheme will also look at setting up school-based counselling, a youth inclusion project aimed at school-leavers who are finding it difficult to find work, and mental health services to help people with stress and depression.

There are also plans for a family support worker who will look at issues such as housing, substance misuse, and healthy eating.

Mr Dann said: "There is a lot going on. We know there are problems and we have a lot of plans aimed at improving people's health and lifestyles."