Drinking Culture Among Young People

Good news! Young people in general are drinking less than older generations did and still do: around one-quarter of 16 to 24-year-olds don’t drink at all, compared with just over one-fifth of the broader adult population. We have also seen how young people are taking fewer drugs than previous generations, as discussed in my previous blog.

Research suggests that young people worry about the emotional impact of alcohol, with mental health being a priority for many, as well as a desire to be socially responsible. In addition, there has been a shift towards the normalisation of non-drinking in adolescents, whilst they are also more self-conscious of how they appear on social media: they don’t want their exploits plastered over TikTok or Instagram.

However, alcohol can appeal to teenagers for many of the same reasons that other drugs do: it can be enjoyable, addictive, and, unlike other drugs, widely available. Natural ingredients in alcohol act on GABA receptors – pleasure receptors in the brain – to give one that warm, two-drink feeling. It can make you feel uninhibited, relaxed, and temporarily reduce anxiety. In the Western world, many feel we are also culturally conditioned to associate being sober with being dull.

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While teenagers drink for many different reasons, I've heard from teenagers that the chief appeal of drinking is fulfilling a desire to belong and feel connected, or even to feel happy and lovable. As one of my children said about why they began drinking:

 ‘I rely on drinking in social situations. I will always “pre” [when you drink ahead of an event]. If I’ve had some drinks, I’m way less self-conscious. Or if I’m nervous before a date, I will take a shot.’

As discussed in my blog on drug use, banning something makes it more alluring to the teenage brain, so once again, we are trying to help teenagers make good decisions by sharing the facts as best we can in a calm and non-judgmental way.

Alcohol is not taboo in the same way as drugs because it is not against the law, at least after 18. The legal minimum age for drinking in a pub with an adult and food is 16, though a teenager cannot buy a drink themselves then.

In physical terms, alcohol is toxic to the developing teenage brain. Teenagers respond in very different ways to alcohol. Some get instantly drunk (especially if they are smaller) while others don’t; some are more risk-averse than others.

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Alcohol damages adolescent brain development in three main ways: it affects decision-making and impulse control because it slows down the brain; it affects memory, learning and emotional regulation; and finally, it affects movement, balance and coordination, which is why accidents and injuries are common among young people who drink.

The symptoms of getting drunk include slurred speech and feeling emotional, drowsy, nauseous, happy, and uninhibited. However, alcohol poisoning can happen when you drink alcohol faster than your body can process it, and, in addition to the symptoms of being drunk, a sufferer may also be severely confused, seriously vomiting, falling unconscious, and turning pale. At which point, they need to go to hospital.

How then to reduce alcohol consumption among teenagers?

Let’s begin with how you behave around alcohol at home. The average age to have a first, unsupervised alcoholic drink in the UK is 14. However, doctors recommend an alcohol-free childhood; no alcohol until 15, and no unsupervised drinks until 18 due to the risk of disease and injury associated with alcohol use. 

Given the medical advice, a sensible approach is to wait as long as you can before you allow teenagers to drink at home. Psychologists stress that the earlier children are exposed to alcohol, the more likely they are to go on to misuse it and to have alcohol-related problems as adults.

There’s something to be said for normalising drinking in moderation in a family context, at mealtimes or at family celebrations, when there is a controlled setting. If we don’t, drinking may happen in secret, with teens necking a bottle of Baileys out of our sight at a friend’s house, or on the street. If we offer alcohol in moderation when at legal age, teenagers get to choose if they accept, and they may not if the offer comes from us, as parental endorsement naturally makes alcohol less desirable.

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While we need to be honest about how we behave, we can have high expectations about their behaviour. I found the work of Robert Rosenthal, a German-born American psychologist and professor, and Lenore Jacobson, an elementary school principal, helpful. 

They are best known for formulating the Pygmalion effect, also known as the Rosenthal effect: the psychological phenomenon that the greater the beliefs and expectations on individuals, including children and students, the better they function. This is self-amplifying in both positive and negative directions. If we expect that our teenager will be a moderate and responsible drinker when they are 18, then that is more likely to happen. By contrast, if we expect them to be out of control, drinking at age 13, and we criticise their drinking behaviour as well as alcohol in general, then they are more likely to be irresponsible.

Suggest that your teen makes their first two glasses alcohol-free; maybe they will find they are having a good time without alcohol, and no one needs to know they are not drinking. Challenge the idea that they will get a feeling of relaxation the instant they take that first sip of an alcoholic drink. Alcohol doesn’t instantly get into the bloodstream. In fact, it takes around 10 minutes. We learn to associate the effects on our brain with the first sip, but we can also unlearn this.

Another practical tip is to drink from a small glass. Go at the speed of the slowest drinker. See if they can restrict themselves to the drinks they really want and forget the rest; the best drink is the first drink. Subsequent drinks attempt to recreate the feeling that the first drink gave them, and it doesn’t work. With each extra drink, the benefits diminish, and potential harms increase.

Examine their thinking around drinking; if they’ve had a difficult time with a friend or in a relationship, do they feel they deserve a drink? If they are nervous at a party, are there other things they can do to help? Are there other ways of bonding with people? Can they stay present to difficult feelings, without the need for the distraction of alcohol? If they’ve had a good day and are drinking to celebrate, are there other ways to have a good time? If they have had a boring day, again, are they just drinking to distract themselves from that? Teach them to notice their excuses. Can they find other ways of answering the needs that alcohol satisfies?

A final PS on drinking, but a crucial one. How can our teenagers avoid becoming the victim of other people’s drunkenness?

Having a pre-rehearsed response to challenging situations can minimise danger. For example, they might feel pressured to get a lift with someone who is about to drive while intoxicated. A prefabricated excuse can be helpful: perhaps, ‘I’ve ordered a taxi to pick me up at 10:30, so I need to wait for it’, or ‘I’ve agreed with my friend that they are taking me home.’

While drinking is on the decline, the dangers of underage drinking remain real, as any parent who visits an Accident & Emergency Department on Saturday night will confirm. But helping teenagers plan ahead with practical strategies of how to behave, and giving them clear information about the reality and dangers of alcohol, will make a hospital visit less likely - for both you and them.

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The Gift of Teenagers: Connect More, Worry Less by Rachel Kelly, published by Hachette, is now available at Waterstones, WHSmith, and online.

The audiobook, narrated by Emma Fenney, can be listened to on Audible.