The threats of underage drinking remain a concern among many parents. Teenagers who drink alcohol are at higher risks of getting involved in violent crimes and meet alcohol-related car accidents. They are also prone to getting depressed and are likely to develop alcohol problems later in life.
Parents in Australia, however, will be pleased to know that the number of Australian teenagers who drink alcohol is declining. A new study published in the journal Addiction April 10 shows that there has been a significant drop in the number of Australian teenagers who drink.
Based on surveys involving over 2500 young people, the study shows that the number of Australians between 14 and 17 years-old who abstain from drinking alcohol has increased from 32.9 percent in 2001 to 50.2 percent in 2010.
The study has likewise found that teenagers who live in remote areas are less likely to avoid alcohol than those who live in the city, and that teenagers that come from households that only speak English are less likely to avoid alcohol than teenagers who come from homes that speak other languages besides English. The proportion of teenage teetotalers, however, has generally increased across different groups.
Study researcher Michael Livingston from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales presented several possible explanations to the trend including cultural factors, greater parental concern over alcohol use, the rise in immigrants that come from light drinking cultures and the internet.
"The shift in drinking behaviour is likely the result of broad cultural factors. We have seen similar recent trends in the Nordic countries and the United States of America, all countries with strong temperance traditions and increasing public concerns about adolescent drinking," Livingston said.
Livingston also said that the internet likely plays a role in teenagers shunning alcohol citing a study in Sweden published last year that found young people who spend more time on social media and online gaming have lower drinking rate.
"The people who spend more time socialising by Facebook or gaming aren't going and drinking with their teen mates any more, they've got alternative leisure activities," Livingston said.
In the U.S., the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that as of 2011, a quarter of Americans between the age 12 to 20 years old drink alcohol and 16 percent binge drink.
