Legal Drinking Age Research Articles

Drink and drive? Understanding the dynamics of youth risk-taking.

We exploit a reduction in the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) in New Zealand from 20 to 18 to study the dynamics of youth risk-taking. Using the universe of road accidents over 15years and an event history approach, we find no evidence that lowering the drinking age increased alcohol-related accidents among teens. Complementary results of a cohort analysis suggest that reducing the drinking age even led to a short-term decline in risky driving among youths directly affected by the MLDA change but had no longer-run impacts on youth risky driving and drinking behaviors.

Am I My Brother's Barkeeper? Sibling Spillovers in Alcohol Consumption at the Minimum Legal Drinking Age

Am I My Brother's Barkeeper? Sibling Spillovers in Alcohol Consumption at the Minimum Legal Drinking Age

Underage drinking, prevalence and predictors in India: Analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) data

ABSTRACT Underage drinking is a high-risk behavior associated with adverse health consequences among children and youth. Globally, underage drinking is the leading cause of social crimes, disability, and premature accidental and suicidal deaths among the young population. Despite leading to serious health and social problems, it has been a scarcely studied issue in India. This study assessed the prevalence and socio-economic predictors of underage drinking in India using Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) 2021 data from 306,929 individuals in the age group of 15–20 years. Analyzing these data, the prevalence of underage drinking was assessed, and regression analysis was undertaken to identify the significant predictors of underage drinking in India. The population prevalence of underage drinking in India was 2%. Age, sex, education, marital status, family structure, house type, religion, social category, wealth index, place of residence, region, and tobacco use were the statistically significant predictors of underage drinking. Despite restrictions on the purchase and consumption of alcohol by the underage population, the prevalence is high in most of the Indian states and varies across individual, behavioral, familial, socio-economic, and demographic factors. There is a pressing need to delay the minimum legal drinking age, establish uniform criteria for age restrictions across India, enforce age restrictions, and create awareness about the harms of underage drinking in India.

Neither a problem nor my problem: Risk factors for underage drinking disengagement among college students

Objective Underage drinking disengagement (UDD; cognitive restructuring/minimizing agency) measures attitudes about the acceptability and responsibility of drinking. We examined demographic correlates of UDD, as well as the moderating effects of legal drinking status on the association between UDD and drinking. Participants College student drinkers (n = 893; Mage = 19.48, range = 18–25; White = 74.1%; female = 68.1%) from a multi-site study. Methods An online confidential survey included the UDD Scale for College Students and the AUDIT-C. Results White and multiracial, underage students, or those living with others endorsed greater cognitive restructuring disengagement than Hispanic students, legal-age students, or those living alone or with parents, respectively. Greek membership and greater “party school” perceptions were related to more cognitive restructuring and minimizing agency. The associations between UDD and alcohol use were not moderated by legal drinking age status. Conclusion Identifying and educating students at risk for UDD on the ramifications associated with underage drinking could combat drinking.

Toddy trends and the organic conundrum: a closer look at consumer behaviour with decision tree

PurposeThis study aims to explore and understand the challenges and opportunities presented by the rising demand for organic products in the context of toddy consumption and marketing.Design/methodology/approachThis research examines consumer behaviour and decision-making patterns using decision tree analysis. A survey questionnaire based on established theories was distributed to individuals above the legal drinking age of 23 in Kerala, India, using purposive and random sampling.FindingsThe study found that people's fondness for toddy shop food plays a crucial role in their food choices. When the fondness is low, subjective norms can override personal preferences. But when the fondness is high, individual perceptions take precedence.Originality/valueUsing machine learning techniques, we created a compass to guide marketing strategies and cultural preservation efforts in toddy shops by considering the complex factors that influence consumer decisions.

Developing a Text Messaging Intervention to Prevent Binge and Heavy Drinking in a Military Population: Mixed Methods Development Study.

Alcohol misuse is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and a significant problem in the US military. Brief alcohol interventions can reduce negative alcohol outcomes in civilian and military populations, but additional scalable interventions are needed to reduce binge and heavy drinking. SMS text messaging interventions could address this need, but to date, no programs exist for military populations. We aimed to develop an SMS text messaging intervention to address binge and heavy drinking among Airmen in Technical Training in the US Air Force. We implemented a 2-phase, mixed methods study to develop the SMS text messaging intervention. In phase 1, a total of 149 respondents provided feedback about the persuasiveness of 49 expert-developed messages, preferences regarding message frequency, timing and days to receive messages, and suggested messages, which were qualitatively coded. In phase 2, a total of 283 respondents provided feedback about the persuasiveness of 77 new messages, including those developed through the refinement of messages from phase 1, which were coded and assessed based on the Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy (BCTT). For both phases, mean persuasiveness scores (range 1-5) were calculated and compared according to age (aged <21 or ≥21 years) and gender. Top-ranking messages from phase 2 were considered for inclusion in the final message library. In phase 1, top-rated message themes were about warnings about adverse outcomes (eg, impaired judgment and financial costs), recommendations to reduce drinking, and invoking values and goals. Through qualitative coding of suggested messages, we identified themes related to warnings about adverse outcomes, recommendations, prioritizing long-term goals, team and belonging, and invoking values and goals. Respondents preferred to receive 1 to 3 messages per week (124/137, 90.5%) and to be sent messages on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (65/142, 45.8%). In phase 2, mean scores for messages in the final message library ranged from 3.31 (SD 1.29) to 4.21 (SD 0.90). Of the top 5 highest-rated messages, 4 were categorized into 2 behavior change techniques (BCTs): valued self-identity and information about health consequences. The final message library includes 28 BCTT-informed messages across 13 BCTs, with messages having similar scores across genders. More than one-fourth (8/28, 29%) of the final messages were informed by the suggested messages from phase 1. As Airmen aged <21 years face harsher disciplinary action for alcohol consumption, the program is tailored based on the US legal drinking age. This study involved members from the target population throughout 2 formative stages of intervention development to design a BCTT-informed SMS text messaging intervention to reduce binge and heavy drinking, which is now being tested in an efficacy trial. The results will determine the impact of the intervention on binge drinking and alcohol consumption in the US Air Force.

Beyond the Laws: Parental Monitoring, Perceived Acceptability of Underage Drinking and Alcohol Use Among Belgian Youth.

Parental monitoring behaviors are negatively associated with adolescent substance use. Yet, the processes explaining these associations are still unclear. The current study examined adolescents' knowledge of minimum legal drinking age laws and their perceived acceptability of underage drinking as potential mediators of the links between parental monitoring behaviors and youth alcohol use. The sample included 1154 Belgian adolescents (Mage = 16.34, SD = 1.33; 71% girls), who were recruited in Wallonia (54.9%) and in Flanders (45.1%). Path analyses revealed that higher parental rule setting, but not solicitation, was related to lower alcohol use. Acceptability of underage drinking mediated this link, but not knowledge of the laws. Results suggest that beyond laws regulating the minimum legal drinking age, alcohol use prevention programs should consider the importance of parental rule setting and youth's perceived acceptability of underage drinking.

Age at first drink and its influence on alcohol use behaviours in young adulthood: Evidence from an Australian household-based panel study

BackgroundPublic health guidelines recommend delaying the initiation age for alcohol. However, the causal link between age-at-first-drink (AFD) and future alcohol use in young adulthood is uncertain. This study examined the association between AFD and alcohol-related outcomes at age 20 years using an Australian sample. MethodsData were obtained from Waves 1–19 (years 2001–2019) of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey on 20-year-olds with responses across ≥3 consecutive waves (n = 2278). The AFD for each respondent (between 15 and 20 years) was analysed relative to Australian legal drinking age (18 years). Inverse probability treatment weighting was used to evaluate associations between AFD and four outcomes at age 20 years: risk of current alcohol use; quantity of weekly alcohol consumption; risk of binge drinking; and frequency of binge drinking. Adjustments were made for confounders (e.g., heavy drinking by parents). Robustness of study findings was evaluated using several diagnostic tests/sensitivity analyses. ResultsAmong 20-year-olds, those with an AFD of 15–16 years consumed significantly more alcohol per week compared to an AFD of 18 years. Additionally, 20-year-old drinkers with an AFD of 16 years were significantly more likely to binge drink (though this association was likely confounded). An inverse dose-response relationship was observed between AFD and weekly alcohol consumption at 20 years, where a higher AFD led to lower alcohol consumption. ConclusionStudy findings indicate an association between a higher AFD and consuming less alcohol in young adulthood, which could potentially support the scale-up of prevention programs to delay AFD among Australian adolescents.

Parental Alcohol Communication and Student Drinking: Examining Potential Differences between Underage and Legal Drinking Age Students

Background We explored associations between parental alcohol communication (PCA) and student drinking behavior and protective behavioral strategies (PBS) use. Methods College students in the United States, who had talked about alcohol with parents, (N = 251) completed an anonymous online survey in Fall 2021. Participants reported frequency of discussing 14 alcohol-related topics with parents, past 30-day drinking behaviors, and PBS use. Results We identified two forms of PCA: general alcohol information and alcohol risk information, with alcohol risk information being more common than general alcohol information. PCA was not significantly associated with drinking behavior but was associated with two types of PBS. Specifically, general alcohol information was associated with greater use of serious harm reduction and stopping or limiting drinking strategies. Additionally, legal drinking age status moderated the associations between both forms of PCA and the use of stopping or limiting drinking strategies. In general, underage students stopping or limiting drinking strategies benefited from general alcohol information but not alcohol risk information. Legal drinking age students stopping or limiting drinking strategies benefited from alcohol risk information. Conclusions Among these students, PCA appears to have a greater impact on PBS use rather than drinking behavior. This may reflect a shift in students’ beliefs about parental authority over alcohol and parents’ acceptance of alcohol use by their children.

Decreasing alcohol use among young adults presenting for service in the U.S. Air Force: An epidemiological surveillance study

ABSTRACT U.S. surveys demonstrate recent decreases in the prevalence of alcohol use and binge drinking among young adults. The current study aims to determine whether similar trends are evident in a similarly aged cohort of service members in the US Air Force to inform ongoing prevention efforts. Participants were 103,240 Air Force personnel in entry-level training between 2016 and 2019. Participants anonymously completed the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test) regarding their pre-service drinking. Logistic regression analyses and the Cochran-Armitage test were conducted to measure population trends over the study duration with stratification by age (<21 vs. ≥21) and evaluation of specific alcohol behaviors. Between 2016 and 2019, the proportion of young service members endorsing any alcohol use significantly decreased for both the <21 group (i.e. from 38.9% to 32.6%) and the ≥21 group (i.e. from 80.6% to 77.5%). Among those who endorsed drinking, a decrease over time in binge use was also observed from 46.6% to 37.8% for the <21 group and from 34.2% to 27.5% for the ≥21 group. Responses to other specific alcohol risk items and total AUDIT scores also demonstrated decreases. Binge use and risky drinking remained disproportionately common among those under the legal drinking age. It is encouraging to observe a shift toward abstinence and decreased binge use among this population of young military recruits. However, given the risk for many adverse health and legal consequences in this population, more work is needed to prevent problematic drinking, especially among those under the legal drinking age.

Toward a national policy on Alcohol: A complex public health issue in need of urgent action.

Alcohol use is a major public health issue. It is also associated with a range of family, social, and economic problems. This led multiple countries worldwide to adopt national policies for alcohol regulation. Over the years, alcohol use and related problems have increased in India. The existing regulatory framework on alcohol varies greatly across states in terms of government sanctions, pricing, and legal drinking age, resulting in variations in its availability and prevalence of alcohol use disorder and related harms. Despite alcohol use being mentioned in several national policies and plans, a comprehensive national policy addressing alcohol is lacking. In this manuscript, the need for a dedicated national alcohol policy is underscored, emphasizing its potential to mobilize resources, prioritize interventions, and guide various stakeholders. The timely implementation of such a policy is crucial to address the multifaceted challenge of alcohol use effectively.

Effects of Sunday Liquor Sales Legalization on Alcohol Policy Attitudes and Alcohol Purchasing Behavior.

We examined how legalization of Sunday alcohol sales relates to attitudes towards Sunday sales, and how both attitudes and alcohol consumption patterns relate to Sunday alcohol purchasing. A total of 1,384 adults of legal drinking age completed a survey one year post-legalization of Sunday sales. A majority of respondents (51%) were supportive of Sunday sales legalization both before and after legalization. People were more likely to support Sunday sales legalization if they reported binge drinking (PR: 2.19; CI: 1.51 3.18). Following Sunday sales legalization, 59% of participants reported purchasing alcohol in Minnesota on Sunday. Binge drinking (PR: 1.39; CI: 1.27, 1.52) or supporting Sunday sales legalization (PR: 1.85; CI: 1.56, 2.17) were associated with higher likelihood of purchasing alcohol on Sunday. Legalizing Sunday sales may have increased access to alcohol for people with more unhealthy drinking behaviors.

Change in Alcohol Consumption in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Meta-Analysis.

Most young people start to drink alcohol in adolescence and increase their consumption until their early 20s. The present study meta-analyzed results of longitudinal studies across the age range of 10 to 25 years. A systematic search in the PsycINFO, PSYNDEX, and Web of Science databases resulted in 513 studies that were included in multilevel meta-analysis. On average, alcohol consumption increased by .21 standard deviation units per year, with the strongest increase at age 12 to 13 years. Regarding cumulative change, drinking peaked around 22 years. Drinking started to decline at age 24, with minor changes being observed in 24- and 25-year-olds. Female participants increased their consumption less than their male peers, but gender differences were very small. Weaker increases in drinking were found in countries with higher minimum legal age of buying alcohol. Passing the minimum legal age of 16 years was associated with a stronger immediate increase in drinking compared with countries with higher minimum legal age, whereas passing higher minimum legal ages had no effect on alcohol consumption. In U.S. samples, smaller increases in drinking were observed in more recent studies. Prevention must start before age 12. Passing a low minimum legal drinking age only seems to have a short-term effect on alcohol consumption.

Discontinuities in the Age-Victimisation Profile and the Determinants of Victimisation

Abstract Dutch victimisation rates increase by 9%–15% immediately upon reaching ages 16 and 18. We disentangle the role of the many rights granted at these ages using offence location data, cross-cohort variation in the minimum legal drinking age driven by a 2014 reform and survey data of alcohol/drug consumption and mobility behaviours. We conclude that access to weak alcohol, bars/clubs and smoking increases victimisation at 16 and that age-18 rights (hard alcohol, marijuana coffee shops) exacerbate this risk; vehicle access does not play an important role. We find no evidence of systematic spillovers onto individuals still ineligible for these rights.

Exposure to Specific Types of Alcohol-Related SNS Content and Adolescents’ (Underage) Drinking: A Two-Wave Daily Diary Study

ABSTRACT Adolescents encounter various types of alcohol-related posts on social media, but little research has distinguished between them. Yet, building on social modeling processes, alcohol posts showing friends (i.e. friend-focused) vs. solely focusing on alcohol (i.e. alcohol-focused) might differently affect adolescents’ drinking behavior. In addition, most research on the topic has ignored short-term within-person effects and possible age-related differences. This two-wave daily diary study among Belgian adolescents (N = 266, M age = 15.83), therefore, examines how exposure to friend-focused vs. alcohol-focused posts predicts adolescents’ drinking behavior while also considering the moderating effect of the legal drinking age. The results show that exposure to friend-focused – but not alcohol-focused posts – increased adolescents’ chances of drinking on both the between and daily within-person levels. However, the within-person results appeared to be conditional because the probability to drink after seeing friend-focused posts increased for adolescents below 16 years of age but decreased for adolescents above 16 years of age. Theoretical and practical implications of this research are discussed.

Legal Drinking Age Laws and Alcohol Consumption: Evidence from South Korea.

In South Korea, individuals are legally allowed access to alcohol from January 1st of the year they turn 19. This study examined the effects of the legal drinking age laws in South Korea on alcohol consumption. This study utilized secondary data from the Korean Youth Panel Survey. The sample consisted of 2,711 high school graduates who were born between March 1989 and February 1990. To examine the effects of the legal drinking age laws in South Korea on alcohol consumption, a regression discontinuity approach was employed. Two outcomes were used in the analysis: a binary variable indicating whether individuals consumed alcohol during the previous year or not, and a continuous variable indicating the number of times they engaged in alcohol consumption during the previous year. The calendar year-based regulation had a limited impact on restricting alcohol consumption. Despite being restricted from purchasing alcoholic beverages or accessing establishments that sold alcohol, individuals subject to the regulation exhibited prevalence and frequency of alcohol consumption similar to those of individuals not subject to the regulation. The findings suggest that the effectiveness of the legislation is weakened as individuals approach legal drinking age and have more legal age peers. Additional investigation is necessary to elucidate the mechanisms and conditions under which underage high school graduates obtain alcohol.

Minimum legal drinking age and alcohol-attributable morbidity and mortality by age 63 years: a register-based cohort study based on alcohol reform

Minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) is an effective policy tool in preventing youth drinking and short-term alcohol-attributable harm, but studies concerning long-term associations are scarce. In this register-based, national cohort study, we assessed alcohol-attributable morbidity and mortality of cohorts born in 1944-54 in Finland. Data were from the 1970 census, the Care Register for Healthcare (maintained by the Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare), and the Cause-of-Death Register (maintained by Statistics Finland). As MLDA was lowered from 21 years to 18 years in 1969, these cohorts were effectively allowed to buy alcohol from different ages (18-21 years). We used survival analysis to compare their alcohol-attributable mortality and hospitalisations with a 36-year follow-up. Compared with the first cohort (1951) allowed to buy alcohol from age 18, the hazard ratios (HRs) for alcohol-attributable morbidity and mortality were lower in cohorts who could not buy alcohol until age 20 or 21 years. For alcohol-attributable morbidity in those aged 21 years when the reform took place, HR was 0·89 (95% CI 0·86-0·93) for men and 0·87 (0·81-0·94) for women versus those aged 17 years. For alcohol-attributable mortality, HR was 0·86 (0·79-0·93) for men and 0·78 (0·66-0·92) for women aged 21 years when the reform took place. The outcomes of the later-born 1952-54 cohorts did not differ from the 1951 cohort. Earlier cohorts had consistently lower alcohol-attributable mortality and morbidity; however, other simultaneous increases in alcohol availability probably contributed to increased alcohol-related harm among the younger cohorts. Overall, differences between cohorts born only a few years apart highlight late adolescence as a crucial period for the establishment of lifelong patterns of alcohol use and suggest that higher MLDA could be protective for health beyond young adulthood. Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation, Foundation for Economic Education, Emil Aaltonen Foundation, Academy of Finland, European Research Council, and NordForsk.

Minimum legal drinking age—still an underrated alcohol control policy

Minimum legal drinking age—still an underrated alcohol control policy

Commentary on Luukkonen et al.: Policy possibilities for reducing public health harms related to pregnant people's alcohol consumption.

Commentary on Luukkonen et al.: Policy possibilities for reducing public health harms related to pregnant people's alcohol consumption.

Traditional Winery in Social Media Era

More and more evidences indicate that internet has become a viable option for the everyday consumer. Millennial are the most recent generation to become of legal drinking age through the whole world and have garnered particular attention form the wine industry. Online customers may have more potential to become loyal fans. The use of social media has been increasing- both in terms of registered members and in terms of platforms.