A majority of high school teenagers in China have drunk alcoholic beverages, according to a survey done by the China National Institute for Nutrition and Health and French liquor giant Pernod Ricard.

The survey, conducted between 2013 and 2014, involved more than 30,000 teenage students aged over 12 in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Jinan, Chengdu and Harbin.

Among the 51 percent of those surveyed who said they have tried alcoholic beverages, 28 percent said they started drinking before they reached the age of 10.

More than half said they would drink with family members and friends.

The survey also showed teenagers lacked knowledge about the effects of alcohol.

Ideas such as "only cheap alcohol hurts the body and expensive ones would not" and "drinking beer is as effective as drinking water when feeling thirsty" are common and few students are aware of the risks of getting fatty liver, cerebral atrophy or amnesia due to alcohol abuse.

China has not set a legal drinking age. Chinese society is also less aware of health issues caused by drinking than smoking. "In China, no one would stop a teenager from drinking at a restaurant," said Jin Yufeng, chairman of Creative and Interactive Group, calling for more regulations on alcohol sales.

"Although laws forbid selling alcohol and tobacco to those under 18, the lack of detailed regulations makes it difficult for authorities to enforce them," said Ma Guansheng, a professor at the School of Public Health of Peking University.