More than a third of adolescents in the EU report heavy episodic drinking, twice as many as adults. It is a particularly big problem in some countries.
advertisementIn most European countries, the proportion of heavy drinkers among 15- to 16-year-olds is significantly higher than among adults.
Early drinking is associated with later drinking, creating a serious public health problem on this continent.
In 2019, on average, more than a third (37.4%) of EU adolescents reported at least one episode of heavy drinking in the past 30 days, compared to one in five adults. (18.7%). Thus, adolescents were twice as likely to be heavy drinkers as adults.
Which countries have the highest rates of episodic binge drinking among adolescents? How does binge drinking among adolescents and adults differ across Europe? Is underage drinking on the rise? Or is it decreasing?
In 2019, episodic heavy drinking among adolescents, defined as drinking five or more drinks on a single occasion, ranged from 8% in Iceland to 59% in Denmark.
Four Nordic countries reported the lowest interest rates, with Denmark leading the way.
Four Nordic countries (Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland) had the lowest rates of heavy drinking among 15- to 16-year-olds. However, another Nordic country, Denmark, had the highest proportion of heavy drinkers.
This may be related to regulations. The OECD’s State of Health in the EU Cycle 2022 report shows that adolescents in Denmark have access to alcohol earlier than in other Nordic countries, and alcohol control policies are less stringent.
The legal age to buy beer and wine in Denmark is now 16, compared to 18. Plans to restrict drink sales For ages 16-18, it contains 6% or more alcohol.
Only five countries, four Scandinavian countries and Portugal, had heavy drinking rates below 25%.
The rate exceeded 45% in four countries other than Denmark. These included Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Croatia.
Binge drinking rates among young people in France and Spain (both 34%) and Italy (35%) were lower than the EU average.
Binge drinking: adolescents and adults
In almost every European country except Iceland and Norway, rates of episodic heavy drinking were higher among adolescents than among adults.
The differences vary considerably, ranging from -16 percentage points (pp) in Iceland to 35 percentage points (pp) in Slovakia, while in the EU it was 19 percentage points (pp).
Only Iceland and Norway had negative numbers, indicating that adults are more likely to binge drink than 15-16 year olds.
Slovakia was followed by Austria (33 points), Italy (31 points) and Bulgaria (29 points).
The proportion of adolescents and adults who drink heavily is also a very useful indicator for comparing these age groups.
Italy, Spain and Greece were outliers.
In the EU, this ratio is 2, indicating that adolescents are twice as likely to binge drink as adults. Italy (8.8), Spain (5.7) and Greece (5.3) recorded the highest ratios and are outliers. In France, another Mediterranean country, the ratio was 1.6.
advertisementThe ratio of heavy drinkers to adults was also above 3 in Slovakia, Bulgaria, Austria and Hungary.
The difference was smaller in the Nordic countries.
In addition to Iceland and Norway, which had high rates of adult binge drinking, Sweden (1.1) and Denmark (1.6) also had low rates for this indicator.
In all countries, men were more likely than women to report heavy episodic drinking. In 2019, on average in the EU 26.6% of men report 11.4 percent of women engage in episodic heavy drinking at least once a month.
Gender differs significantly in adults, but not in adolescents
However, this is not true for adolescents. In the EU, heavy episodic drinking among adolescents was 38.1 per cent of boys compared to 36.8 per cent of girls.
In 17 countries, boys reported higher rates of binge drinking than girls, and in 13 countries, girls reported higher rates of binge drinking than boys.
advertisementResearch shows that adult gender differences are related to differences in cultural expectations and may reflect traditional gender roles. It may also be associated with employment disparities and lower incomes between men and women.
Apparently, these variables do not work for adolescents. Changes in gender identity may be an explanation, as masculinity is less obsessed with heavy drinking than in the past. This is shown below. 2019 survey By Jukka Torenen and colleagues at Stockholm University.
Repeat drinking is on the decline, but levels remain high in some countries
Drunkenness is another indicator of alcohol consumption among adolescents.
In 2018, the prevalence of repeated drinking among 15-year-olds ranged from 7 per cent in Ireland to 42 per cent in Denmark. In the EU, it was only 22%.
More than a quarter (27%) of 15-year-olds in the UK have experienced repeated drunkenness, at least twice in their life.
advertisementThe proportion of 15-year-olds who have experienced repeated drunkenness has fallen in most EU countries over the past 20 years.
Between 1998 and 2018, it fell from an average of 41 percent to 24 percent for boys, and from 29 percent to 20 percent for girls.
Although on the decline, it was still above 30% in several countries in 2018.
Possible reasons behind declining drinking rates among young people
Several reasons have been proposed to explain the decline in drinking rates among young people.
Technology, social norms, family relationships, gender identity, and even trends in health, fitness, well-being and lifestyle behaviors are contributing to this, according to the OECD’s chapter on ‘Trends and Patterns in Alcohol Consumption’ in ‘Preventing Harmlessness’. This may explain the decreasing trend. The Alcohol Use report was written by Sabine Vuik and Jane Cheatley.
advertisementThey suggest:
- Virtual communication (smartphones, social media, etc.) has become mainstream for young people these days, and opportunities for drinking alcohol may be decreasing.
- Young people may want to control their drinking to avoid disseminating negative images of heavy drinking to the public through social media and networks.
- There is less peer pressure to drink alcohol.
Does childhood drinking predict future drinking patterns?
Yes, it is. According to the OECD, several studies have found that early drinking is associated with later drinking. An OECD analysis uses longitudinal data from the United States to show that drinking in childhood (between ages 15 and 18) predicts future drinking. The effect was even greater for women.
harm and risk
An OECD report suggests that episodic heavy drinking among adolescents is associated with a range of acute alcohol-related harms. These include increased risk of power outages, injuries, car accidents, and sexually transmitted diseases.
Adolescent alcohol use is also associated with poorer educational outcomes, including bullying and social exclusion.