Abstract. Recently, the problem of low-alcohol consumption among adolescents and young people has become especially relevant, which was confirmed by the results of global WHO research and the ESPAD project in Ukraine (2019). Aim. Study the age and gender characteristics of low-alcohol beverages among children and adolescents, identify risks and identify ways to minimize the negative impact of low-alcohol beverages on public health. Materials and Methods. The data of the WHO and the ESPAD project, separate national researches on alcohol use by teenagers are studied; analyzed the results of the long-term epidemiological study "Family and Children of Ukraine", which is part of the WHO long-term European long-term study program on parenting and childhood "ELSPAC" (European Longitudinal Study of Parenthood and Childhood). Results. According to the latest ESPAD study in Ukraine (2019), 85.7 % of all adolescents surveyed (more than 2,000 people) have consumed alcohol at least once in their lifetime, and the share of those who have consumed alcohol in their lifetime is ten and more times amounted to 46.3 %. According to the Family and Children of Ukraine study (989 people), the youngest age when alcohol was first consumed by adolescents of both sexes was 9 years of age and younger, with adolescent girls being more active than boys in their age. The analysis of the questionnaires ("Adolescent Questionnaires 15-18 years") revealed that among the surveyed adolescents, 67.4 % (725) people drank alcohol at least once in their lives, and there were more girls (69.5 % – 370 people) than boys (65.4 % – 355 people). The highest rates among adolescent boys were recorded in the 14-year-old group: 19.0 % drank beer for the first time, 14.5 % drank wine or champagne, 9.4% drank alcohol, and 7.4% drank strong alcohol. The highest rates of adolescent girls were found in the 15-year age group: beer was consumed for the first time by 16.9%, wine or champagne – 22.4%, alcoholic cocktail – 16.9 %, spirits – 8.6 %. Analysis of the degree of involvement of adolescents in beer consumption showed that at the age of 9 years and younger 3.9% (21) boys and 5.3 % (28) girls tried beer for the first time; at the age of 14 – 19.0 % (103) boys and 14.5 % (77) girls; at the age of 15 – 16.0 % (87) boys and 16.9 % (90) girls. Thus, the first time the interviewed teenagers tried beer was at the age of 14-15. Conclusions. Consumption of low-alcohol beverages among children and adolescents in Ukraine is an acute social problem, the solution of which requires a systematic approach, which should include the formation and promotion of alcohol-free norms among young people, as well as marketing tools focus on priority consumption of soft drinks. Key Words: low alcohol drinks, adolescents, food safety.

The aim: A theoretical analysis of the problem of the hardiness of a person who suddenly found himself in extreme conditions and an empirical study of his individual and psychological factors that contribute to the strengthening of this personal characteristic and mobilize the internal reserve of student youth. Materials and methods: The following psychodiagnostic methods were used in the empirical study: “Methodology for the diagnosis of hardiness” by S. Muddy, “Test for the diagnosis of properties of the nervous system” by Y. Strelyau, “Methodology for the diagnosis of character accentuations” by K. Leonhard, “Mini-Mult Test”, “Psychological Stress Scale”, “Coping Behavior Questionnaire” by R. Lazarus, S. Folkman, “Test of Meaningful Life Orientations” by D. Leontiev, Life orientation test C. Scheyer, M. Carver. The study was conducted from September 2022 to January 2023. Results: It was established a direct connection of hardiness with a strong and mobile nervous system, hyperthymic and demonstrative accentuations of character. Inversely related to hardiness are pedantic, unbalanced, dysthymic, and exalted accentuations of character, all personality disorders. People with a high level of hardiness are characterized by expressed optimism, the meaningfulness of life, and the use of adaptive coping strategies. Conclusions: The study showed the high importance of hardiness for the full functioning of student youth during martial law and its conditioning by the properties of the nervous system and individual psychological characteristics. This emphasizes the need for making efforts to increase their level of vitality.

In recent decades, in many countries of Europe and the world, there has been a tendency for an earlier onset of alcohol consumption among adolescents, unfortunately, in this aspect, Ukraine is no exception. Aim. To study various aspects of alcohol use by adolescents and the level of awareness of their mothers to determine measures to prevent adolescent alcoholism in Ukraine. Materials and Methods. As part of the longitudinal study "Family and Children of Ukraine", the personal data of 989 adolescents aged 15-18 years (499 boys and 490 girls) and 1075 mothers were analyzed. Bibliosemantic, sociological and medical-statistical research methods are used. Results and Discussion. During 2014-2019, the share of children and adolescents hospitalized with acute poisoning in the intensive care unit of the National Children's Specialized Hospital "OKHMATDIT" of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine increased from 20.6 to 36.7 %. Research has shown that the vast majority of Ukrainian adolescents (75 %) consume alcohol during their lifetime; 31.0 % of adolescents have done so more than 10 times, and their first attempt to drink alcohol occurs at the age of 9 years and younger among both boys and girls. The survey found that 50.6% of adolescents confirmed that they had consumed alcohol in the past 30 days, of which 7.5% of adolescents admitted that they did so more than once a week. The survey allowed to determine the peculiarities of the use of various alcoholic beverages by adolescents in Ukraine: teenagers first "get acquainted" with beer, wine or champagne at the age of 14-15; alcoholic cocktail teenage girls consume for the first time 2 times more often at the age of 15; strong alcoholic beverages are most often consumed for the first time by adolescents aged 15–16 years. It was found that only half of the surveyed mothers (48.4 %) were aware of the fact of alcohol consumption by their adolescent children, while 40.7 % of mothers categorically forbid their children to drink alcohol, 46.5 % of mothers consider it undesirable, 8.7 % mothers do not prohibit alcohol in small quantities. Conclusions. The results of the study prove that the problem of alcohol consumption by children and adolescents in Ukraine remains relevant and requires immediate development of preventive measures for implementation in both school and family environments. Given the insufficient level of awareness of mothers about the fact of alcohol consumption by their children and the insufficient level of understanding of mothers of the dangers of this phenomenon, the need for further research on the prevention of alcohol dependence in adolescence is justified. Key Words: adolescents, alcoholic beverages, mothers of adolescents.