Minors receive alcohol from their parents before they are old enough to buy it themselves.
A new report reveals that more than half of all 15-year-olds received alcohol from their parents the last time they drank.
Young People Have Easy Access to Alcohol in Denmark
Although 15-year-olds are legally prohibited from purchasing alcohol, a new report reveals that approximately one in three 15-year-olds have bought alcohol in a supermarket within the past year. Additionally, 35 percent of 15-year-olds report never experiencing ID checks when attempting to buy alcohol in a supermarket.
However, it is not just supermarkets where young people easily obtain alcohol. Their parents also contribute to this.
This information is detailed in the report "Alcohol – Young People’s Drinking Habits, Perception of Accessibility and Control," produced by the National Institute of Public Health.
The report is based on a nationwide survey in which over 12,000 young people aged 15-24 answered questions about their alcohol consumption, including how they obtain alcohol.
According to the report, half (53 percent) of the 15-year-olds received alcohol from their parents the last time they drank. Veronica Pisinger, one of the researchers behind the study, explains:
“It is interesting that a little over half of the young people, who are not legally old enough to buy alcohol in stores, receive it from their parents. This indicates that age limit legislation alone is not sufficient if the goal is to reduce alcohol consumption among very young people. There must also be a focus on parents and their attitudes towards when it is acceptable to start drinking alcohol.”
For 16-17-year-olds, one in three (30 percent) received alcohol from their parents, compared to 7 percent of those aged 18-24.
Young people aged 16 and over primarily obtain alcohol from supermarkets. Among the 16-17-year-olds, 61 percent bought alcohol in a supermarket the last time they drank, compared to 47 percent of those aged 18-24.
Monitoring Young People’s Drinking Habits
The report is part of the "Alcohol" study and is the second in the series.
The purpose of the "Alcohol" study is to monitor and track the development of young people’s drinking habits, attitudes towards alcohol, and perception of accessibility during a time when new legislation is being introduced.
“We are monitoring young people during these years as the government’s prevention plan for tobacco, nicotine, and alcohol aimed at children and young people is being implemented. According to the plan, the Danish Safety Technology Authority will be given increased powers to ensure that the age limit is adhered to and that children and young people under 16 cannot buy alcohol. Therefore, we expect that young people will increasingly experience ID checks in stores when they try to buy alcohol in the future,” says Veronica Pisinger.
The figure shows how young people obtained alcohol the last time they drank, divided by age groups.
Note to the Figure: Respondents could provide more than one answer. Therefore, the categories are not mutually exclusive. The question had multiple answer options; only the nine most common are depicted in the figure.
The report is funded by the TrygFonden.
Contact: Researcher Veronica Pisinger, phone: 6550 7748, email: vepi@sdu.dk, National Institute of Public Health, SDU.