Researchers in a number of countries have identified major changes in adolescent alcohol consumption since the early 2000s, with the prevalence of teenage drinking more than halving in some countries.
These declines clearly have major implications for public health – later onset of drinking by young people (or ongoing abstinence) should lead to reductions in an array of negative outcomes both during teenage years and as these cohorts age into adulthood. However, the trends raise issues for alcohol policy researchers – how do we understand the major shift in drinking behaviour by teenagers across countries with diverse policy settings and drinking cultures?
A range of quantitative and qualitative work is underway in many countries trying to understand these shifts and the topic is ripe for collaborative international research. An international research conference titled ‘Youth Drinking in Decline’ will be held to explore this topic in Stockholm, Sweden on the 3rd-5th of October 2022. The conference will provide an overview of work in this space, with the aim of sparking new ideas and collaborations between attendees.
Deadline for abstract submission is June 30th 2022
