All week, our listeners will have the chance to click on our Booze Calculator. You put in the number and type of drinks you had last night and it works out the number of units against your weekly recommended amount, number of calories, time the alcohol stays in your system, amount you spent in a typical bar, how much you spend a year on booze if you have one night like that every week. It's all set in a bar with the results displayed on the blackboard.

You can automatically post your results to Facebook and Twitter. Radio 1 DJs will have a go at this and talk about it on their shows. Why not try it yourself?

The first person to be stopped from buying alcohol in every pub and bar in England and Wales has told Newsbeat the ban has made her drinking problem worse. Laura Hall, 21-year-old, has had to go back into rehab after a period off booze. She was arrested after drinking again last week. You can see a documentary about her struggle with alcohol on BBC Three.

Clearly, it's an important subject which connects with our core 18-24 audience. We will also explore liver disease - something we usually associate with older people - but new statistics show a record number of under 30s were admitted to hospitals in England with liver problems linked to booze last year.

The figure has gone up 53% in the last 10 years from 230 to 351. The numbers are small but rising significantly: some experts we have spoken to believe it is the tip of a very large iceberg waiting to hole NHS budgets.

Separate figures show there are now 71 under 30s on the waiting list for a liver transplant in the UK, up from 28 in 2000. We have spoken to a 19-year-old admitted to hospital with a liver problem and a 25-year-old with serious health problems linked to booze that she kept hidden from the NHS.

In Dundee we're out with police as they pilot a new scheme to prevent underage drinking in the city. Supermarkets and off licenses are selling bottles and cans with a special code. If they get confiscated from someone under 18, then police know where and when it has been bought. They can go back to the shop, study CCTV and find out if shop broke the law or if someone over 18 bought the alcohol on their behalf - which is obviously also illegal.

The coalition government has announced it was bringing in minimum pricing on alcohol in England and Wales. In Oldham that's already happening after the town was labelled the "binge capital" of the UK two years ago. Then the council cracked down - more policing, strict conditions on bars and so on. They say it's been a success and crime and anti-social behaviour is down. We'll be back there to test those claims.

Of course, there are the tricks of the bar trade, too: for example: evidence shows the louder the music in the bar, the more people drink, if they take away chairs leaving customers standing, you are likely to buy more booze. We'll be talking to some insiders from the world of bar work about the tricks and the techniques they use to get us to get another round in.

Our audience will be giving us their feedback and I would love your ideas and thoughts too.

Rod McKenzie is editor of Newsbeat and 1Xtra News.

The government's dilemma is one we're chewing over across BBC News and this week we're working hard to help audiences understand the story and its implications on radio, TV and online - nowhere more than Newsbeat where our young audience is not only engaged with the story but also highly opinionated.

So we asked Comres to survey more than 1,000 18-to-24-year-olds to get their views.

Young voters, the survey says, think the government should take a hard line on benefits, slashing them to help plug Britain's £90bn deficit. It finds that 76% of young voters think unemployment benefits should be cut and 68% say that housing benefit needs to be reduced.

When it comes to public services that should be protected, 87% say the NHS, followed by 82% who pick schools; 81% select police and fire services.

The survey suggests they're prepared to see the government make the "tough choices" being discussed. Young voters favour spending cuts over tax rises by a large margin.

62% say there is a need to reduce spending - though most want the cuts to be made slowly to give the economy as much time to recover as possible.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, moves to increase university fees or introduce a graduate tax are only supported by 33% of 18-to-24-year-olds, with 64% against.

Policies to scrap quangos and freeze public-sector workers' pay if they earn more than £21,000 are also not widely supported. Apart from front-line services such as the NHS and schools, old-age pensions and defence spending emerge as the most popular to survive unscathed.

Other welfare payments plus new house building, overseas aid and transport are ear-marked for the deepest cuts.

We'll keep returning to our young voters to gauge their reactions: first to the government's plans and then further down the line when they bite. Will their views change or harden? It'll be interesting to see.

Rod McKenzie is editor of Newsbeat and 1Xtra News. Fieldwork for the survey took place from 28 September to 3 October 2010.

A staggering eight out of 10 16-to-34-year-olds watched, listened or read BBC election news during the campaign.

Previously, I've blogged about apathy and the young, but there's no doubt for some reason, something has changed.

So what's the evidence?

2.7 million 18-to-34-year-olds watched the third debate on the BBC and, anecdotally, we heard the format was appealing to younger audiences - with many praising Nick Clegg's performance in particular.

Millions of young Radio 1 listeners listened to our leaders' debates on Newsbeat, followed it online or heard coverage on the Chris Moyles Breakfast Show and across the day led by our politics reporter Robin Brant. One in five young people heard our coverage in the last week of the campaign.

BBC Three's first-time voters Question Time with Dermot O'Leary on 5 May reached 186,000 people in the same age bracket and the BBC's drive for clear, engaging, coverage seems to have hit a positive note with younger audiences with six in 10 agreeing that our explanations and reporting improved their understanding.

On Radio 1, we invited Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg to meet some of our listeners - all first-time voters, all unsure how, or even whether, to vote. The Radio 1 boardroom - more used to the legendary weekly meeting to decide the station's playlist - was transformed into a studio to record three special editions of Newsbeat. The leaders faced the listeners - chaired by our presenter Tulip Mazumdar.

If ever we thought this would be a tame exercise in polite political repartee we were wrong. What followed was politics with the gloss removed - real, young, working people getting stuck in on the issues that engage them day in, day out: jobs, immigration, petrol prices, a feeling of disconnect from the political machine in Westminster. Deference didn't make an appearance on our agenda.

So what did we get right for young voters?

The clarity? The immediacy? The gritty up-close-and-personal nature of the story, the leader debates and the sense that politicians were facing real voters outside their perceived Westminster comfort zone. I bet you'll have your own views, let us know.

Rod McKenzie is editor of Newsbeat and 1Xtra News.

They make interesting reading and illustrate some generational and demographical differences among young adults.

I blogged about apathy before - so let's start there.

Just one in three first-time voters told our pollsters that they will definitely vote on 6 May - far lower than the figure for the general population which hovers around 65%.

That's about the same level as in the previous election, but a drop from our 2001 figure of around 40%. So why's that?

Disinterest in politics tops the list of reasons: simply "not wanting to" and feeling that their decision won't make a difference. Women are less likely to vote than men.

Money and jobs are the key election issues for young voters - perhaps no surprise there.
There are some interesting demographic findings, too.

David Cameron appears to be winning over young working-class voters - while first-time voters in wealthier social groups are more likely to favour Gordon Brown.

That suggests the reverse of demographic trends in other polls among the general voting population. Nick Clegg comes third among both groups; again, his support tilts towards the middle classes.

Almost a quarter of first-time voters are more interested in the smaller parties than they were 12 months ago. Of those, 48% say they are taking more notice of Green Party ideas; another quarter say the same for the BNP and one in five say they are interested in UKIP.

Here again, there is an apparent trend by social group. First-time voters in a middle-class bracket (57%) are significantly more likely to be interested in the Greens. Working-class first-time voters are more interested in the BNP's policies (52%).

In case you were wondering, this is not a "voting intention poll" as they're called in the trade: the BBC doesn't do that sort of polling.

The findings are pretty much in line with our audience tracking data over time. Disillusionment with politicians in the wake of the expenses scandal is nothing new among all our audiences - but for younger voters, many of whom start with a natural disconnect from Westminster, it can't have helped engagement.

Comres interviewed 1,000 first-time voters (aged 18-23) on fixed line and mobile phones in England, Wales and Scotland from 6-10 April. Data was weighted to be demographically representative of all 18-23 year-olds.

Rod McKenzie is editor of Newsbeat and 1Xtra News.

Some of Radio 1's young listeners have been expressing their opinions in a powerful and robust way - Steve texted to say "I won't be voting".

Apathy among young voters is nothing new to us - but the reasons have changed from five years ago. He continues "...politicians are only interested in lining their own pockets...I can't see the point in electing self-serving, lying, cheats".

Apathy turning to Anger. Still a month to go. Blimey.

We're doing our bit to engage audiences who want something less intense than rolling minute-by-minute coverage of press conferences and appearances, live TV debates and deep analysis.

Our research shows many of our young listeners are intimidated by some of the basics - how to register to vote? What to do when confronted with a ballot paper and booth - a black box and a pencil.

Luckily, first time voter and glamour model 23 year old Peta Todd, helped us out: Jamelia, Tinchy Stryder and Ricky Whittle have been telling us what they'd do if they were PM - and we've been checking the low visual recognition of Britain's top politicians with young people courtesy of Radio 1 DJ Greg James.

It is possible to have a sense of humour at election time. It's also right to be serious.

Our panel of first-time voters are ready to ask party leaders tough questions and keep our journalism relevant to their needs.

Our mission at Radio 1 is to engage those who want to debate the issues but wouldn't normally have the means, access or know-how to be able to do so.

One of our challenges during the coming weeks will be to balance election news with very many other interesting and important but not election-related stories.

And that's one cause of annoyance with audiences. "Too much on the election - we're bored already!"

Looking through our social networking friends comments, Steve's theme is developed and repeated. "Money grabbing... lies... you can't trust a politician" - words and phrases that come up again and again.

Of course, citizens' cynicism for politicians is nothing new. There was plenty around in Gladstone and Disraeli's day and it stretches further back to Walpole and beyond but some might argue that cynicism increases with age and political disillusionment.

A selection of young voters beaming hopefully out of the page of one of the broadsheets this morning is a stark contrast to our own experience.

Andy "Woody" Woods Facebooked us:

"Why does it matter who you vote for, it just seems like they go back on their word and lie anyway, in the long run all parties attempt to solve all issues only in a different order and different ways."

With first-time voter turnout at the last election at 37% and maybe more than half of "virgin voters" not registered this time round, we could well see a drop in that figure.

We'll soon have the results of our latest First Time voters poll which will give us some fresh insights into the changing - and still disconnected - world of many young Britons. I'll blog again when we've seen the results.

Rod McKenzie is editor of Newsbeat and 1Xtra News.

"Nick Griffin says what most of us are thinking - he stands up for Britain."

Just two of the contrasting texts among thousands we received after Newsbeat's interview with the leader of the BNP - and two young activists from the party. I'm happy to respond to those who argued, or complained, that we shouldn't have conducted the interview.

You can hear the interview here - and also read some of the background editorial thinking on all this in my colleague Ric Bailey's recent post and I'll try not to repeat his arguments.

So first, why was the BNP given airtime?
Well, we're impartial - that means we should examine all political parties and put their representatives on the spot with fair and firm questioning. Impartial journalism and censorship do not sit happily together. We believe in getting the facts and the arguments out there for people to decide - not in judging what is "right" or "wrong" in a political context - that's for you to do.

The BNP are not an illegal party. They enjoy electoral support and have elected representatives. It is the BBC's job to properly examine all legitimate political parties that operate within the law and for which people clearly vote.

Why are you forcing this stuff down your unwilling listeners' throats?
We're not. People have a choice whether to listen or not.

This may surprise you, but a great many texts we received yesterday were broadly supportive of the BNP. Over time, it's evident from following our listeners that the party touches a nerve of support or interest. The large pile of texts on my desk raise issues around immigration, political correctness and an apparent frustration with mainstream politics that means the BNP, or at least some of their policies, appeals to some people.

It's also clear that not much is known about the party's policies beyond immigration and race which is something we were keen to explore - and did. By the way, we also received messages of support from those who believed we had exposed the weakness of the BNP on a range of issues.

Why is the listener's view not heard?
It was. We put to Nick Griffin some of the texts we received including sentiments as tough as "you're a disgrace" and "how do you sleep at night?".

Debbie Randle's handling of the interview was extremely rigorous and the bulk of the tough questions she asked were inspired by, or directly quoted, listeners themselves.

But it's offensive to many others and ethnic minorities?
I accept for many others this is true. But others will understand that one of purposes of journalism in a democratic society is to explore and question - raising at times subjects some may find distasteful or shocking.

Rod McKenzie is editor of Newsbeat and 1Xtra News.

There was some early banter from the prime minister while he had his mic fitted, sensible to woo the trainees. He and his entourage would have been all too aware of the dangers of sending a low-poll rating PM into a potentially angry crowd in a very public setting.

It was hosted by our 1Xtra News presenter, Tina Daheley. One of the early questions was from Remy, 21, a Man United-supporting MC from Manchester. The prime minister doesn't usually get greeted like this:

"You alright, Gordon?"

Remy wanted to know whether there'd be more help for freed prisoners to find work.

"You have got to have a society where there is punishment if people commit crimes," the prime minister said.

"But equally if someone has served their sentence, we should help them get into work."

Next up, plucky 19-year-old "Cheekz" complained about what she was taught at school.

"Henry VIII's wives and how many heads he chopped off have no relevance in my life now because I don't know how to fill in a housing form and I don't know what I pay taxes for," she said.

The prime minister admitted he thought history teaching was "more up to date" than that, before reeling off examples of how "citizenship studies" will help people like Cheekz.

There were more questions and the prime minister heard some powerful personal stories. Ash from Manchester has lost two friends to gun crime. Darren has been "floating about" in Brixton and can't find a decent place to stay. And Fliss from Bristol told the premier that she's homeless and has to live in a car.

This is all part of the U Takeover joint project from 1Xtra and BBC Blast. It's a three-month training scheme for 22 young people from Manchester, Bristol and London. The 18-24 year-olds are all out of work and not in full-time education. Their training culminates in producing a day of radio on 1Xtra on Saturday 26 September.

Vince, 20, from Bristol told Gordon Brown he considered some MPs "criminal" for abusing their allowances. The PM didn't agree but said the system was being sorted. Then a question from "Solja" - a 21-year-old football fanatic from Manchester, whose parents both lost their jobs recently.

"Would you jeopardise less on your yearly salary to help the recession?" he asked.

"We've frozen our pay," said the PM, before presenter Tina sought some clarity, "Would you take a pay cut though?" she asked.

"I'd be prepared to take a pay cut," Gordon Brown replied. Cue Tina's next question - how much?

The prime minister refused to tell us. But the news story was already there. The PM is prepared to cut his pay to help out in the recession.

Later - texters to Newsbeat on 1Xtra's sister station, Radio 1, were inclined not to believe he'd actually do it - or that after the next election he'd actually be in a position to make the decision. But that's another story.

The 1Xtra News Show is hosted by Tina Daheley and supported by a brilliant new entertainment presenter Nesta McGregor and our versatile sportsman David Garrido.

Our first edition kicked off with a subject of critical relevance to our young, urban target audience. Figures seen by 1Xtra show that four out of every 10 young people say they have unprotected sex. Many young men we spoke to don't like the feel of a condom - young women worried about their reputation if they carry some in their bags. Yet we know how much teenage pregnancy and STIs affect this audience. We've been talking to teenagers and early 20-somethings about "barebacking" and the consequences.

We'll also have an investigation into online sex abuse and sexual bullying. Police have told us that they're increasingly worried about teenagers swapping intimate or naked photos on their mobiles. We've spoken to victims - who sometimes blame vindictive exes for forwarding explicit videos and pictures taken in happier times.

Nesta is in Ayia Napa - a favoured summer destination for our audience - it's an urban music Ibiza. 1Xtra programmes are also coming from there as some of the biggest names in urban music perform there in the busiest week of the holiday season there - amid reports the credit crunch may be hitting the venue this year.

Sport and entertainment/music news is high on our audience's priority list for any news programme that's relevant to their lives. We're also pledged - as with Newsbeat on Radio 1 - to make the important, interesting, relevant and accessible. It may not be for everyone who consumes BBC News - but it is for our listeners on 1Xtra - and we'd love to hear from you.

Rod McKenzie is editor of Newsbeat and 1Xtra News.

Matthew Robson's spell at Morgan Stanley led to him penning a report "How Teenagers Consume Media" which makes some depressing reading for those who love radio and want that desire to burn brightly for future generations.

In short - he's talked to 300 youngsters and come to the following conclusions: teenagers don't listen to radio, don't go to the cinema after 15, Twitter is for old folks, newspapers are toast and they don't pay for music.

Well, up to a point Matthew.

It's clearly interesting to hear from people actually in this age bracket but is this really borne out by the facts?

Before we think this undoubtedly thought provoking and intelligent work is on the scale of a Charlie Eppes breakthrough moment (OK, without the Maths) ... it's time for a reality check.

We at Newsbeat on Radio 1 and Revealed on BBC Switch - have done a great deal of hard headed research on all this. Some of it is well founded - some of it good opinionated stuff - but all of it is worth a second glance before it passes off as "The Truth About Teenagers".

Let's take Radio. It's true than the non-visual aspects of radio is less appealing for younger teenagers than 20-somethings. That's why Radio 1 is increasingly visualised - at the moment we are running Zane Lowe and Chris Moyles "in vision" live streamed.

Radio listening among youngest teenagers is declining - but still holding up - and not every teenager is like every other teenager. For example if you want to check out new music and don't want to rely entirely on your mate's dodgy taste - Zane's show is a must.

But after you've established that you like Speech Debelle or stumbled across Wax Fang what next?

In the old days it was off down to the generic music store and parting with £11.99 for the CD. No more. Pirated tracks, Limewire and Pirate Bay have all moved into the history of file sharing - now it's good old YouTube that's the big player in the new music second listen and research stage. After all you don't spend money on music.

I'd agree with Matthew about Twitter: our evidence suggests teenagers Tweet less than any other group though as with the Facebook v Bebo battle of two or three years ago that may change. We're watching keenly.

He usually chats to male friends while battling terrorists on "Call of Duty" - social networking sites and mobile chats are for girls - and of course, cost is key for the cash strapped teenager.

On mobiles - some certainly have cutting edge technology but there are still plenty of basic hand-me-downs - cause of much embarrassment with friends. We are in a recession after all and not every parent has the deep pocket to fork out on the MP3 and top end web browsing experience.

So - last word to the teenagers themselves who checked out Matthew's work experience for me. One said he thought that teenagers not going to the cinema was a load of rubbish ...and added: "he doesn't sound like an ordinary teenager".

Rod McKenzie is editor of Newsbeat and 1Xtra News.

He was answering a question which has been on my mind a lot lately. How can we better tell the story of what's happening, day in and day out, in Afghanistan?

We've recently spent 10 days embedded with the UK military, first at Camp Bastion and then at Lashkar Gah. We were on patrol with UK forces and with the newly-arrived American troops in the shape of the formidable US Marines.

Our team was made up of reporter Sima Kotecha and producer/cameraman Pete Emmerson. Their dispatches and video-journalism are on the website in our Afghanistan diary. We've also, of course, been going through feedback.

Moira from Arbroath was one of those who got in touch:

"I just want to say thank you to people like Ross Kemp and Radio 1, if it wasn't for their coverage on Afghanistan, then I like a lot of other people would still be quite ignorant to what all our armed forces have to endure on a daily basis."

Our team was left in no doubt of the relationship that many young servicemen and women have with the station. "When is Chris Moyles coming out?" was a question many asked us, and many also wanted Simon Cowell. They were keen to demonstrate that what they were doing there was more than fighting the Taliban.

We have a special duty to tell the story in Afghanistan comprehensively and impartially for our audience. Some are involved in the conflict, or have been, or will be. Many others are connected to the services through friends and relatives. Real people, real stories. Here's one.

For 33-year-old Maj Sean Birchall, "doing more than fighting the Taliban" meant building a wall around a local school near the Lashkar Gah base. With a minefield nearby and the Taliban around, he wanted to protect the boys - and the girls who wouldn't have been educated under Taliban rule - from danger.

It was a project that he believed in. He spoke with great enthusiasm to our team, and worried over the price - $10,000. Maj Birchall led his men from 1st Battalion Welsh Guards from the front. He was usually first to dismount from armoured convoys and was keen to talk to the Afghan National Police and to check their welfare.

He looked after our team too and, when off-duty, he was interested in the techniques of radio; the sounds here, the footsteps there, the crickets which you hear in our reports.

On Friday, he was in the second vehicle in a patrol convoy. It was hit by a roadside bomb. Despite prompt attention from the convoy's medic, Maj Birchall died before he could be airlifted to hospital; he was four days short of his birthday. Another soldier was badly injured.

His loss is deeply felt by his colleagues in the Welsh Guards, by his wife Joanne and by the rest of his family. He leaves an 18-month-old son, Charlie.

In this case, we could do more on Radio 1 than a line on breaking news. Our bulletins this weekend featured his words and a brief obituary. But because of broadcasting restrictions imposed by the MoD, often with good reason, and because of our own concerns about our staff's health and safety, these are never easy stories to report. As so often, they can be best told first hand.

We've got to keep trying - and sometimes that's just about getting out there.

Rod McKenzie is editor of Newsbeat and 1Xtra News.

From steroid use to drug driving, from hepatitis C risks for cocaine users, mental health issues and cannabis - to the growth of so-called party drugs and the corresponding decline of harder drugs such as crack and heroin. We've even employed a sniffer dog to help us online.

There are some who argue that Radio 1 shouldn't give such coverage to what is, after all, an illegal activity. It's an argument that deserves a reply.

Firstly - Radio 1's target audience is young people: most are aged between 15 and 30. In this age group, recreational drug use is often a norm. Rightly or wrongly - it's not our job to judge. I believe it is our job to gather, interpret and broadcast available facts and stories so our audience can decide for themselves.

Let me give you a flavour of our journalism, in case you missed it. Firstly, we did some substantial research on drugs use: it highlighted a decline in harder drug use like crack and heroin - and an increase in so-called party drugs like speed, ecstasy and cannabis.

This was supported with a documentary Out of It on our sister station 1Xtra from Izzy Fairburn. From steroid use to drug driving, from hepatitis C risks for cocaine users, mental health issues and cannabis to the growth of legal - but apparently sometimes dodgy - herbal highs.

Looking at the thousands of texts and online posts you've sent it, it's clear there'll never be consensus among Radio 1 listeners on the subject. Many are grateful for the help, advice and non-judgmental information offered.

There are others who think those who use drugs - however lightly or recreationally - are losers and the story is not worthy of coverage. I disagree: it's clear that with so many Radio 1 listeners having a view on the subject, either because they are regular or occasional users, or know someone who is, and others seeing friends and family damaged by drug use, it is a story of vital and engaging interest to our audience which numbers in millions of young people.

We'd be failing in our job is we didn't cover this story properly - and seriously. If you were one of those who texted, e-mailed or went for the messageboard option - whatever your views - thank you!

Rod McKenzie is editor of Newsbeat and 1Xtra News.

It's Susan Boyle from Blackburn, West Lothian, of course. She's 47 and, she says, never been kissed.

So why - a few people have asked me - do we refer to her as "a virgin" on Radio 1? Do we now insist on checking the chastity or otherwise of all those who we report on? No, let me assure you, we don't.

This is not some salacious reporting of sex lives or lack of them. It's a crucial part of her back story and one she herself has highlighted on many media interviews. She's never had a boyfriend and these details are unusual and interesting. Worth reporting, I would argue.

We wouldn't be mentioning this if she hadn't brought it up - but she did. She herself hasn't complained. I don't think there's an invasion of privacy issue here because she is the source, not the subject, of an allegation. Anyway, virginity's nothing to be ashamed of, is it?

You have to be a very hard hearted editor not to be deeply moved by the Radio 1 audience's struggle with eating disorders and body image. No-one who has any contact with teenagers or early 20-somethings can fail to understand how large this looms as an issue: it destroys lives - and frankly, it doesn't get much news coverage.

The number of young people being admitted to hospitals for problems related to Anorexia has gone up 80% in 10 years, according to NHS figures for England. Three times as many 12-year-olds are now getting help for the condition.

Newsbeat spoke to Heather Youell who lives in Northampton. She's now 22 and her problems started when she was 15: she cut out breakfast, then lunch, then dinner. She collapsed while out jogging and doctors told her she had just days to live. She's better now but no thanks, she says, to her GP surgery. Their advice was simple: "you should eat more". In hospital, nurses discussed their diets while trying to get her to eat.

"We thought it was time the prime minister was asked about this, so our politics reporter Dave Howard put him on the spot at his monthly press conference. Doesn't late diagnosis put lives at risk? Gordon Brown agreed: "I think the more the Health Service can do to help particularly teenage girls the better. I assure you that's one of the issues Alan Johnson is looking at very seriously in his health service plan."

We contacted Susan Ringwood, from the eating disorders charity, Beat, who said: "What Gordon Brown said to Newsbeat today was the first time a prime minister has ever made a statement about eating disorders."

So far, so good, but then - suspicion from the charity: it has been pleading with the government to find out more about eating disorders, particularly simple facts like, how many people in the UK suffer? They think the Department of Health is rather less keen on doing the hard work on this than the prime minister might suggest, and claim that anorexia - and similar eating disorders - cause more deaths in young people than any other medical condition.

Our text response after the story might be persuasive. Emily - who's 17 - went from being a nine stone (57kg), 5ft 9in to just five stone (31kg). And again, as with so many of our stories on Radio 1, it's not just the girls who suffer. We heard about one young man who wanted to be a male model: his quest for the body beautiful nearly killed him - at one point, he was given three days to live.

And to be fair - there are people who blame the media too. Helen in Cumbria spoke for many others when she tapped out this text to us: "The problem is down to the media. Girls being airbrushed and promoting size zero is becoming more and more acceptable. We need to stop promoting this image of a perfect body which is unachievable."

Shocking - but perhaps not surprising. We know it happens often. But what if the victim in such a case was a man - a young man?

New statistics suggest that men in their early 20s are MORE likely to be abused by their partner than women the same age. It's not a subject that's much talked about. On Newsbeat, we're changing that.

The official definition of partner abuse includes non-physical forms like emotional bullying as well as physical force. But men in this age range have been on the receiving end of all forms, including sometimes severe violence.

Across most age ranges more women are abused than men. But analysis of the latest figures from the Home Office shows the problem is more evenly spread between the sexes in the early stages of a young relationship

So why are men in this age at such risk? Are 20-something women becoming more aggressive? Are men less able to defend themselves? And is this a taboo that's now being talked about for the first time?

Our journalism started with a piece on Radio 1 from our special reporter Jim Reed. 5Live's phone-in with Nicky Campbell picked up the story also.

Mark Brooks from the men's health charity Mankind reckons the issue of male domestic abuse is often ignored by the government, social services and the police. There simply isn't enough help available for men, he says.

Reporting the crime carries risks too. Some men clearly feel that telling police can lead to the finger of blame being pointed at them. One, who wants to stay anonymous, texted us to say "ex girlfriend pushed me down the stairs ,i called the police and they locked me up for three hours and made me walk home with dislocated toes cos they did not believe me". Others say they were threatened with assault charges - even though they were the victim.

The response from the Radio 1 audience appears to fit the stats, too: "She knocked me to the ground and then started punching, kicking and biting me." Another one told us: "My ex broke my arm with a metal pole ... when the police came round, I ended up being arrested."

And perhaps most movingly: "My dad was stabbed to death by his girlfriend in a drunken unprovoked attack. She had been attacking him randomly for months. He would never talk to us about it but we knew she had a violent temper. He was a wonderful dad and we miss him every day. More should be done to encourage men to report domestic abuse."

Covering this subject has provoked a flood of stories and experiences - and from many a desire for something to be done to help young male victims. We're now following this up with a full length documentary - coming soon on 1Xtra.

Rod McKenzie is editor of Newsbeat and 1Xtra News.

I'd be interested to know if starting early made you less or more likely to drink more later in life.

The reason I ask is, of course, that new government guidance for England advises that children shouldn't be allowed to have any alcohol until they're at least 15. After that, it recommends all booze should be drunk under supervision until the age of 18.

Our audience on Radio 1's Newsbeat - our young audience - was not impressed. Most seem to think it's another example of nannying, don't-do-this-do-this government.

Kimberley texted us to say:" i lived in a pub when i grew up and i had my 1st drink at the age of around 6ish. I am now 25 and i no my limit and with seeing people drunk when i was younger made me not want 2 look like that".

Dave in Filey, North Yorkshire agrees: "it's about time the govt started to actually run the country and stopped interfering in the public's personnal lives-we are not as incapable of rational decision making as many people in govt think we are".

But Georgina from Leeds says: "Alcohol is a drug and potentially poisonous. It can damage developing organs and seriously affect judgement. The argument that the more adults say no the more children will do it is a cop out by parents who do not take their responsibilities seriously. It is our job to keep children and young people safe".

Other listeners cited the European family drinking culture, which seems to work well for the Italians, Spanish and French, they say: not much binge drinking there, thanks to a sip or two with mum and dad at the dinner table. A view endorsed by David Cameron when he was interviewed by Newsbeat last year - he's all for an introduction to sensible tippling.

And by the way, I had my first drink aged 11: do I drink sensibly? Well... mostly.

Rod McKenzie is editor of Newsbeat and 1Xtra News.