According to the study which says social networking websites are compounding the same message, images of celebrities drunkenly spilling out of nightclubs are making the youth believe that "extreme drinking" does little harm.

The study of 18- to 24-year-olds found that celebrities were repeatedly cited as evidence that drinking to excess could be attractive, and posed few risks.

The researchers said that social networks like Facebook reinforced the connection between fun and heavy drinking, because many young people used them to swap images of alcohol-fuelled exploits.

The research, funded by the Government's Economic Social and Research Council, involved detailed interviews with 89 young people and an analysis of more than 200 advertisements for alcohol.

Researcher Isabelle Szmigin, Professor of Marketing at University of Birmingham's Business School, said images of celebrities spilling out of nightclubs reinforced the idea that drinking was "cool" and harmless.

"What was clear from our research was that a good night out involved 'determined drunkenness' - which meant planning to get drunk as part of a regular big night out and 'pre-loading' by drinking heavily before leaving the home," the Telegraph quoted her, as saying.