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. The Danish government, along with several political parties, introduced a new prevention plan on November 14, 2023, aimed at reducing the use of tobacco, nicotine, and alcohol among children and young people. The prevention plan includes 30 initiatives, including several targeting alcohol, such as stricter age control measures and reducing the availability of alcohol to minors.
Purpose
The purpose of the §ALKOHOL study is to closely monitor the implementation of alcohol-related initiatives in the prevention plan targeting tobacco, nicotine, and alcohol use among young people. Additionally, the study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of these initiatives on youth alcohol consumption and identify areas where further regulation or implementation may be needed
Method
The §ALKOHOL study is a nationwide survey to young people. For each survey, a new random sample of the population aged 15 to 24 is invited to participate. The first survey was conducted in the third quarter of 2022, and there are three annual follow-up surveys planned until 2025. Approximately 50,000 young people are invited via digital mail for each survey.
How is the study reported?
Each survey provides a detailed picture of young people's consumption patterns, their perception of availability and control, and their attitudes towards alcohol. This allows for the evaluation of the implementation of the alcohol-related initiatives in the prevention plan.
The evaluation tracks youth alcohol consumption in terms of weekly use, binge drinking, and types of alcohol consumed. Additionally, it examines changes in young people's perception of alcohol availability and ID checks, as well as shifts in their attitudes towards alcohol.
The results of the first three surveys from 2022, 2023, and 2024 have been published in reports
Funding
The study is conducted by the National Institute of Public Health and funded by Trygfonden.
The National Board of Health' has funded the development of the questionnaire and the baseline measurement.
Contact
For more information about the study, you can contact:
- Veronica Pisinger, Project Leader and Researcher in Alcohol Prevention, vepi@sdu.dk
- Anne Vinggaard Christensen, Researcher and Maternity Cover, anvi@sdu.dk