The report in last week's Portadown Times that social workers called the police to a house, after reports that the boy had been drinking with adults, has caused shockwaves in the town.
Terry Watson, manager of the YMCA at Jervis Street, said it was common for children of aged nine and 10 to be drinking alcohol.
"Sadly it's a fact of life in Portadown - and in other towns throughout Northern Ireland - that children as young as nine and 10 are drinking alcohol," he said.
"The problems are complex. The family unit is breaking down. Parents are drinking with their kids at home, and the blue-coloured alco-pops type drinks - which taste like lemonade but are, in fact, strong alcohol drinks - are also encouraging children to imbibe.
"The marketing people often don't care who their adverts appeal to - just so long as profits are high and shareholders are happy."
He added that organisations in Portadown like the YMCA, Y-Zone and PLACE were working hard to counteract the problems.
"Not so long ago, the 11-14 group was the main problem and now it has reduced to primary school children," said Mr Watson. "It really is an increasing problem, and there must be more outreach out into the community.
"Another problem is that funding from the authorities isn't being targeted where we believe it should. Groups like ourselves, Y-Zone and PLACE are working in a voluntary basis in many cases, and we believe that more resources should be targeted in the direction of groups like ourselves.
"As well as the breakdown in families and the ruthlessness of the marketing people, older youngsters are getting drink from home sources and from take-outs. It's a very difficult situation and it's galling to see children so young affected by alcohol. Their young bodies simply can't take it."
He added, "The problem, though, goes further even than that among teenagers. It leads to anti-social behaviour, under-age sex, unwanted pregnancies, sexual diseases - it's spiralling out of control.
"We need resources and specialist workers to counsel the children and their families to tackle this problem head-on. There is some education going on in primary schools and that needs to be increased, and the work in the community needs to be expanded too.
"Unless proper resources are put in, it will be well nigh impossible to turn back the tide."
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