Background
International studies show that Danish young people start drinking alcohol earlier and more often drink to intoxication compared to young people in other European countries. Alcohol use in adolescence is associated with increased risk of unwanted or uncertain sex, violence, and accidents. In addition, an early debut age and a high consumption of alcohol in adolescence are associated with increased risk of continuing high consumption into adulthood and thereby increased risk of developing alcohol dependence and alcohol related diseases.
In recent years, Danish young people's alcohol consumption has been of great attention from authorities and politicians. Based on the government's proposal to raise the minimum purchasing age for alcohol to 18 years and the National Board of Health's announcement that young people under 18 years should not drink alcohol, the National Institute of Public Health will follow the alcohol use of young people closely in the period 2022 to 2025. It is a unique opportunity to monitor and evaluate any new legislation or structural initiatives and point to new relevant preventive measures.
Purpose
The purpose of § Alcohol is to monitor the development of young people's alcohol habits, attitudes to alcohol and experience of availability of alcohol.
The baseline measurement is a basis for comparison for the subsequent measurements. With § Alcohol, it will be possible to evaluate how any new legislation or structural measures affect young people's alcohol consumption in Denmark.
The results should help to point out opportunities for preventive measures and new studies on alcohol prevention among young people.
Method
The study is conducted among a random sample of the population of 15 to 24-year-olds. For each yearly sample, a new population is invited. The baseline measurement is scheduled to be carried out in the third quarter of 2022 before any new legislation or structural action comes into force. The results of this measurement serve as a basis for comparison when we follow the developments in the alcohol field in the coming years.
A total of three follow -up measurements are planned until 2025. At each survey, 40,000 people are invited via Digital Post.
How is the study reported?
In the baseline measurement, we will get a characteristic of young people's alcohol habits before any new legislation or structural actions are implemented. The measurement will give a detailed picture of the young people's alcohol consumption pattern, experience of availability of alcohol, as well as attitudes to alcohol.
In the baseline study, we follow young people's alcohol consumption in relation to weekly consumption, binge-drinking, and types of alcohol. In addition, we will look at young people's experience of the availability of alcohol and control with ID, as well as young people's attitudes towards alcohol.
The results of the baseline measurement will be published in a report at the beginning of 2023.
Funding
The study is conducted by the National Institute of Public Health.
The National Board of Health' has funded the development of the questionnaire and the baseline measurement.