Youth and Young Adults
Levels of alcohol consumption amongst Swedish teenagers and young adults are worrying. Alcohol is currently the biggest mortality and injury risk factor amongst young people aged between 16 and 24. Young people aged between 18 and 24 currently account for 35 per cent of all alcohol-related DUI deaths, even though this group accounts for only 7 percent of drivers.
Extensive international research shows that young people who drink alcohol also run a greater risk of suffering accidental injuries (e.g. falls, drowning and alcohol poisoning), violence (e.g. murder, suicide, and child abuse), and that their academic performance and productivity declines. Studies have also shown that binge drinking at a young age increases the risk of risky alcohol consumption in adult years.
Preventative measures have been shown to be particularly effective in reducing young people’s alcohol consumption and the harm that ensues. Young people’s alcohol consumption is affected by a number of different factors, such as adults’ alcohol habits, the price of alcohol, bars’ opening hours, advertising, and age restrictions on the purchase of alcohol.
