SHAHRP

School Health and Alcohol Harm Reduction Project

International Bulletin:

Why focus on alcohol?

Within a period of about 10 years, young people change from individuals who have never had an alcoholic drink to individuals who, as an age group, are the heaviest drinking section of the population.

This observation about young people's alcohol consumption and early patterns of alcohol use in the United Kingdom is reflected in the level of alcohol consumption by young people in Australia and many other countries.

Young people consume more alcohol and experience more acute alcohol related problems than any other age group, and the potential for harm associated with alcohol use increases on each occasion with an increase in the number of standard drinks consumed. More years of life, quality of life, and productivity are lost from acute alcohol-related harm in young people than are lost from chronic diseases caused by alcohol use in older consumers.

Alcohol is linked to the three leading causes of death among young people world-wide: unintentional injuries, homicide and suicide.