Researching the decline in adolescent drinking: The need for a global and generational approach

Abstract

Adolescent alcohol consumption has been in decline across many high-income countries since the early to mid-2000s. This is a significant public health trend, with few documented examples from history where such a global downward shift in alcohol consumption has occurred primarily among the adolescent segment of the population. In this commentary we describe the nature and breadth of the trend; reflect on the environmental, social and policy factors that have been proffered; and argue that to adequately understand and support the maintenance of these trends, three important methodological considerations are needed for future research. Firstly, longitudinal panel and qualitative studies are needed to complement and inform continuing cross-sectional research. Secondly, a collaborative cross-cultural approach is needed to contextualise the international scale of the trend and thirdly, future research must be situated within a historical and generational perspective to understand declines in adolescent drinking in the context of a broader shift in adolescent behaviours.

Exploring the changing landscape of youth drinking—we are still drawing the map

“…The authors also suggest a focus on explanatory factors at the population level rather than at the individual level. This is in line with what is suggested in the debate piece by Pennay et al [15]. In this paper, the authors outline and argue the need for a broader view with cross-cultural research to contextualise the trends in youth drinking.…”

“…This is in line with what is suggested in the debate piece by Pennay et al . . In this paper, the authors outline and argue the need for a broader view with cross‐cultural research to contextualise the trends in youth drinking.…”

‘Are The Times A‐Changin’? Trends in adolescent substance use in Europe

“…Investigation into the driving forces behind the temporal changes was beyond the scope of the present analysis. The recent call for new approaches when researching the reasons for change in alcohol use needs to be extended to substance use in general. In order to understand and disentangle the many and overlapping factors influencing youth substance use, cross‐cultural research needs to be intensified and complemented by qualitative approaches.…”

Normalisation of non‐drinking? 15–16‐year‐olds' accounts of refraining from alcohol

“…These include: better enforcement of the minimum legal age for alcohol purchase; changes in social norms related to drinking among young people and immigration from non-drinking cultures; a more competitive society with an emphasis on academic achievement and a disciplined way of life; a more health-oriented lifestyle; changes in parenting and parental norms; lower affordability and the rise of internet-based technologies [1,[7][8][9][10]. There are still rather few empirical studies assessing whether, or to what extent, one or more of these explanations are valid [1,9,11]. The most convincing evidence in this respect pertains to the importance of stricter parental monitoring and rules [9].…”