Where Do Adolescents Get Drunk?

Abstract

E. E. Storvoll & I. Rossow & H. Pape: Where do adolescents get drunk? A study of the relative importance of various drinking locations among Norwegian adolescents

To curb the harmful consequences of drunkenness among adolescents, it may be useful to know where they usually drink to the point of intoxication. We have analysed data from a school survey among 14–17 year-old Norwegians in 2005 to shed light on this issue (n=13 399). We assessed the prevalence of getting drunk at various locations and estimated the relative importance of various locations (i.e., the proportion of the total number of episodes of getting drunk that had taken place in various locations). About half of the episodes of getting drunk occurred in private homes. Although the respondents were too young to drink at licensed premises, about one in ten episodes took place in such locations. Relatively few episodes occurred at social events at school or in connection with organized leisure activities. The relative importance of the various locations varied with age and frequency of intoxication, whereas gender differences were less pronounced. Implications for prevention and further research are discussed.