Alcohol consumption of young people fell pleasingly

Young people in Germany drink significantly less alcohol
For a long time, the consumption of alcohol by young people in Germany was extremely questionable. Binge drinking and coma drinking are the keywords used here. Meanwhile, the trend has turned and fewer and fewer adolescents and young adults are prone to dangerous alcohol consumption, according to a recent study by the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA).

The study "The alcohol consumption of young people and young adults in Germany 2016", which the BZgA presented on Thursday together with the Drug Commissioner of the Federal Government and the Association of Private Health Insurance e.V. (PKV) in Berlin, shows a thoroughly gratifying development. Health-endangering alcohol consumption continues to decline in young people in Germany.

In adolescents and young adults, alcohol consumption fell significantly in the past year. (Image: Jochen Mittenzwey / fotolia.com)

More than 7,000 young people interviewed
"The current study results show that both the consumption of alcohol and the so-called binge drinking of young people and young adults are declining," said the BZgA. A total of 7,003 adolescents and young adults aged 12 to 25 years were interviewed nationwide for the study. Ten percent of 12- to 17-year-olds said they regularly drink alcohol at least once a week. In 2004, this share was still at 21.2 percent, reports the BZgA. 13.5 percent of adolescents said they had drunk at least once last month (2004: 22.6 percent). Male 12- to 17-year-olds (16.5 percent) were more inclined to binge drinking than girls of the same age (10.3 percent).

Result of successful educational work
"In Germany, fewer and fewer young people drink alcohol regularly, which is good news," said the Federal Government Drugs Commissioner, Marlene Mortler, at the presentation of the study. She also attributes the positive development to the good educational work that has been done with the "Alcohol? Your limit was achieved. This is "a central building block of our prevention strategy." Without a "raised index finger," the campaign conveys knowledge about the effects of alcohol. "Young people talk to young people themselves, because their peers are the best people to talk about.

Young adults continue to consume a lot of alcohol
The campaign will continue in the future and "make a valuable contribution to continuing this positive trend and reaching even more young people", explains Marlene Mortler. The positive trend is also noted in the 18- to 25-year-olds. For them, regular alcohol consumption currently stands at 30.7 percent. However, as many as 42.5 percent of males and 22.6 percent of female adolescents said they had drunk at least once in the previous month. Thus, consumption in this age group remains at a relatively high level.

Binge drinking continues to be a problem
According to the head of the BZgA, Dr. Ing. Heidrun Thaiss said that "36.5 percent of 12 to 17-year-olds have never drunk alcohol." In addition, teenagers would drink the first sip of alcohol in their lives later than ever before. - currently with 14.9 years. Despite these positive trends, however, it remains to be said that overall, there are still too many young people and young adults who drink so-called "intoxication". Here, the prevention strategy specifically aims to motivate young people to use alcohol responsibly, since drinking alcohol in adolescence involves very special risks.

Prevention campaign is being revised
Currently, according to the BZgA the campaign "alcohol? Kenn your limit "completely revised, for example, new poster motifs in comic style to sensitize young people with a wink for the risks of risky alcohol consumption. The campaign is supported by the Association of Private Health Insurance (PKV). "The offers and contents of the campaign we are promoting reach young people in their worlds of life, such as school, leisure time and social networks on the Internet", explains Dr. med. Volker Leienbach, Director of the Association of Private Health Insurance e.V. (PKV). The current study results of the BZgA confirm the sustainability of the joint prevention commitment. (Fp)