Research and analysis

Young people's alcohol consumption and its relationship to other outcomes and behaviour

Report regarding future policy around young people's alcohol consumption by defining the characteristics of young people who drink alcohol.

Documents

Details

Alcohol consumption among young people has been linked to a range of negative outcomes, both contemporary (such as lower educational attainment, smoking and criminal behaviour) and later in life - such as increased risk of drug and alcohol dependence and poorer mental and physical health.

However, little research has been done looking at how these behaviours and outcomes are related to one another, which are the most important and what the causal links might be.

The main aims of this project are to determine the characteristics of young people who have had an alcoholic drink and to compare them with the characteristics of those who have not, looking for distinct types or patterns of drinking among young people.

The project also explores the relationship between patterns of drinking behaviour and other behaviours, attitudes and outcomes. It looks at how changes in drinking behaviour relate to changes in other behaviours and what the causes might be.

Published 24 June 2010