How young people can get out of addiction

Directly from the dpa news channel

Berlin (dpa) - According to a study, regular alcohol consumption among adolescents in Germany is as unpopular as ever - but excessive drinking among young adults is becoming more alarming again.

37.8 percent of 18 to 25-year-olds have drunk into an intoxication, according to survey data from 2018, according to the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA). That was five percentage points more than two years ago and the first increase in a long time. At the same time, risky drinking becomes a growing problem, especially among young women.

The Drug Commissioner of the Federal Government, Marlene Mortler, sees no reason for the all-clear. "We have to remain very vigilant," said the CSU politician in Berlin. Not everywhere the trend in the right direction.

First, it is "good news" that regular alcohol use among adolescents is becoming increasingly rare. According to the study, among the 12- to 17-year-olds, 8.7 percent drink beer, wine or other at least once a week - a new low. In 2004, it had been 21.2 percent. Never in life have drunk alcohol now 38.1 percent of adolescents. The time at which alcohol plays a role has also shifted by about a year since 2004: the first glass of tea is given to teenagers aged 15 instead of 14, the first intoxication is now 16 years old instead of 15 years old.

Young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 will see a different picture. Almost all (95.1 percent) have already drunk alcohol. On a regular basis, according to the survey, they are currently doing more. One third (33.4 percent), compared to 30.7 percent two years ago. In the long run, however, there is also a clear decline here.

Conspicuous, however, are increases in young women. According to their own admission, 28.4 percent have drunk into an intoxication (2016: 22.6 percent). Rausch means that you have consumed five glasses or more on one occasion during the 30 days prior to the interview. The proportion of young women drinking risky large amounts of alcohol has also risen to 14.9 percent (2016: 11 percent). Generally, however, men continue to consume more than women. For the biennial study, around 7000 people were interviewed by the Forsa Institute from April to June 2018.

Mortler emphasized that a rising trend among young people should be slowed down. Adulthood does not mean that it is alright to drink too much. It was not "cool in any way to get alcohol into a state of unconsciousness." In order to counteract this, it relies above all on education and prevention, in particular directly on site. For example, municipalities should better control the protection of minors with test purchases and ensure that "popular festivals do not degenerate into mass casualties". A means are also alcohol sales bans from 22.00 clock.

Mortler commented cautiously on new advertising bans on alcohol - priority being given to a long-standing ban on poster advertising for tobacco. More could be done though. So it would be a big step if the public broadcasters voluntarily renounced alcohol advertising. Also useful are warnings on posters such as in France, which states: "The abuse of alcohol is dangerous to health. Consume in moderation." After all, Germany is still one of the high-consumption countries.

Despite known health damage, more and more alcohol is consumed worldwide, as an international study in the journal "The Lancet" revealed. According to an analysis of data from 189 countries, the consumption of the world's population increased by 70 percent from 1990 to 2017 due to population growth and higher per capita consumption. But there are big regional differences. While consumption in China, India and Vietnam grew strongly, it fell sharply from a high level in Eastern European countries. In Germany, the scientists observed a stagnation with a slight decline in the trend.

Globally, in 1990, every human being aged 15 to 99 drank an average of 5.9 liters of pure alcohol. By 2017, this consumption increased to 6.5 liters. To classify: Half a liter of beer contains about 20 grams of pure alcohol. In Germany, 16.32 liters of pure alcohol were drunk in 1990, compared to 13.05 in 2017. For 2030, the scientists predict a consumption of 11.63 liters. Accidents, cancer, heart and circulatory diseases are only a part of the causes of death that are directly or indirectly associated with alcohol.