Alcohol-Related Risks for Slovene Secondary School Students on Graduation Trips: Ten Years Later

Abstract

The purpose of the research was to study the characteristics of risky alcohol use and alcohol-related risky behaviour of Slovene secondary school students attending graduation trips in the period of ten years (in 2007 and in 2017). We used the questionnaire from the first research study which we modified with questions addressing sexual behaviour of adolescents. The final sample included 371 students of the last years of secondary school (44.9% of boys and 55.1% of girls, the mean age was 17.8 years) attending graduation trips. The sample was unrepresentative and based on self-selection. Both research studies gave comparable results in the categories of alcohol use and risky alcohol use before the trip. The most notable increase was seen in the categories of lifetime prevalence and frequency of use of marijuana. The most common alcohol-related risks remain property damage, accidents, and issues arising from relations with friends. In addition to that, the following categories stand out: sharing embarrassing photos via social media, establishing sexual contacts which would not take place if sober, and unwanted sexual experiences. Almost half of them consumed alcohol before the last sexual intercourse. In the last decade, graduation trips have retained the status of specific environments, in which, compared with the period before the trip, the use of alcohol is characterised by greater risks for a higher percentage of adolescents. Given the results, the recommendations focus on interventions aimed at reducing specific risks related to the use of alcohol on graduation trips.