Changing but resistant: the importance of integrating heavier young drinkers within a declining drinking culture

Abstract

Recent trends in Australia show a decline in youth drinking, but alcohol-related harms and the number of heavy drinkers remains high. This suggests a polarised drinking culture with subgroups of heavier drinkers continuing to reinforce heavy drinking norms. It is important to recognise the role peer networks in setting drinking norms despite cultural change. In a society collectively moving towards a more moderate drinking culture, recognising the segmented and homogenous heavier drinking subgroups that get left behind is vital. Encouraging greater integration of abstainers and moderate drinkers within social networks rather than letting heavy drinkers remain isolated and self-reinforcing might be one way to disrupt perceived heavy drinking norms. Harnessing this decline in youth drinking at the population level and translating it to the peer-to-peer level could be an important step for the future of alcohol-related harm reduction.

Keywords:

• Alcohol
• young people
• Australia
• heavy episodic drinking
• peer networks

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.