[Home-brew and alcohol drinking of adolescents]

Studies have shown that adolescents in Nordland county consume more alcohol than the national average, and that home-made liquor is an important element in the local alcohol traditions. We conducted a school based survey of 435 high school students in the municipality of Alstahaug, Nordland county, with a response rate of 85%. We found that home-made liquor was frequently consumed by students of all ages. Boys started drinking at an earlier age than girls, and continued drinking higher amounts. Access to alcohol was easy for students of all ages. The students bought alcohol themselves, had others buy it for them, or they made their own liquor. Nearly all interviewees who drank much beer, wine or brandy, also had a high consumption of home-made liquor. The consumption of liquor among adolescents in the Alstahaug community seems to be unusually high and warrants preventive action.