Background
Across most high-income countries, youth drinking is in decline and researchers are increasingly focusing on the nature and underlying reasons for this decline. To explore this phenomenon, the Kettil Bruun Society for Social and Epidemiological Research on Alcohol1 held a thematic meeting in Stockholm, Sweden, titled ‘Youth Drinking in Decline’. This three-day event held at Systembolaget conference facility on the island of Skarpö outside Stockholm brought together experts from around the world to discuss four overarching themes:

1. What are the key findings from the research on the nature and causes of the decline?
2. Which theories or explanations for the decline have been rejected and why?
3. What are the key unanswered questions or which theories, explanations or research areas have been neglected?
4. What are the research priorities going forward, including questions, infrastructure or data needs, dissemination or advocacy?

Presentations with perspectives from Germany, Sweden, Finland, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland were delivered to build greater understanding of the causes for the decline, the potential consequences, to where attention needs to be turned next, and how research can inform policymaking. All participants prepared and presented a paper on the topic of the conference theme.

Presentation themes
Historical origins of youth drinking in decline
The decline in youth drinking was first noted in the United States in the late 1990s and slowly spread to Nordic countries and by mid-2000 was observed in Australia, New Zealand, and Western Europe, including Ireland. Researchers have attempted to explain why more and more young people choose not to consume alcohol and the first theme of the event was to examine these possible explanations.

Theme 1: Key findings on the nature and causes of the decline
From the outset it was clear that there is no single reason for the decline, rather numerous influencing factors were discussed. A key point of discussion was how social media, online gaming, and technology use coincided with the timing of the decline and how it certainly is a contributing factor, as socialising face-to-face has decreased, but social media and technology use and gaming cannot be viewed as the causal explanation.

Neoliberalism discourses were at the heart of the event, whereby young people are expected to consider their older selves.2 In a contemporary neoliberal society, this involves maintaining individual responsibility, exercising self-control, continually working for self-improvement, and where excessive alcohol use represents irresponsible and risky behaviour that reflects badly on the individual. As such, young people strive to meet higher educational expectations and are motivated to lead healthier lives. Being healthy, it seems, has become the new ‘cool’, but healthism is important too to young people and extends beyond alcohol use to include veganism, meditation, and mindfulness, symbolic of a fear of being unhealthy.

Attendees discussed how there has been a wider shift in adolescent behaviours. In focusing on the ‘self’, young people now view drinking less as more authentic, and peer pressure, which was a key driver of alcohol use in the 1990s, has decreased. However, the enthusiasm for the decline in youth drinking is marred by the disquieting evidence of the decline occurring in parallel with an increase in anxiety among young people. With the many competing activities in their lives, there is no ‘down time’. Is this why they are not as happy as previous generations?

Theme 2: Theories and explanations that we can reject and why
Despite an increase in other drug use noted in some of the countries examined, the theory that young people are substituting alcohol with cannabis and/or other drugs was dismissed. Furthermore, the immigration effect was rejected. The decline cannot be apportioned to the increase in immigrants from non-drinking communities within the countries where a decline has been noted. Also rebuffed was the notion that younger generations are rebelling against their binge-drinking parents, choosing not to emulate their behaviour. Parents do play a role in the decline, however. The increase in parental expectations for their adolescents has resulted in the younger generation seeking perfectionism, both academically and in other areas of their lives. Yet parenting has changed; it has become less authoritarian, rules are not dictated, and adolescents and parents alike agree rules and boundaries. Perhaps this interpersonal approach to communication between parents and their adolescent children has had this beneficial outcome.

The concept of ‘hardening’ was discussed, whereby the remaining young people who drink are described as a deviant or ‘riskier’ group, less susceptible to intervention, and at a higher risk of harm, similar to that witnessed in high-income countries that have experienced declines in smoking.3 However, as the decline is seen across all social groups and sexes, the consensus is that it has not resulted in hardening among those who do drink.

Theme 3: Unanswered questions and neglected theories
The group also discussed what areas may have been overlooked in the research on declining youth drinking that may contribute to a greater understanding. Research to date has not explored why the decline has plateaued; why the decline spread geographically as it did; why youth drinking increased so rapidly in the late 1980s to early 1990s; why the decline is more pronounced among boys in most countries examined; and have the media or indeed the alcohol industry played a role? Are there different drivers in different countries? To date, research has looked for common themes to explain the decline but perhaps it varies by country. There is no clear evidence available to explain or link the rise in poor mental health and its potential impact on alcohol use. All that is known is both have happened concurrently. These are but a sample of the many questions raised over the course of the event.

Theme 4: Research priorities going forward
With a room full of researchers, the conversation inevitably led to what future research priorities would be. The decline in youth drinking potentially has profound implications for what the population of the featured countries will look like in 20–30 years’ time. The consequences of the decline should now begin to be apparent. Suggestions were made on data sources that may now reflect the impact of the decline in drinking and the resulting implications for later initiation. A final word of caution was expressed as the group considered whether the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic could buck the trend.

Conclusion
Ultimately, there was a common goal of ensuring that they, as researchers, continue to explore why many young people shun alcohol, thus ensuring that policymakers are not allowed to become complacent in introducing policies to prevent alcohol-related harms. 

1    For further information on the Kettil Bruun Society, visit: https://www.kettilbruun.org/

2    Törrönen J, Samuelsson E, Roumeliotis F and Månsson J (2021) Negotiating emerging adulthood with master and counter narratives: alcohol-related identity trajectories among emerging adults in performance-oriented neoliberal society. J Adolesc Res, Early online.

3    Livingston M, Raninen J, Pennay A and Callinan S (2023) The relationship between age at first drink and later risk behaviours during a period of youth drinking decline. Addiction 118(2): 256–264. https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/36994/