Preferred drinking locations of Scottish adolescents

A sample of Scottish schoolchildren (N=1240) were asked a series of questions about their consumption of alcoholic beverages. Those who had consumed alcohol were asked about the circumstances of their last drinking occasion. That is, what alcoholic drink(s) they consumed, how they obtained this alcohol and where they were when they drank it. This was done with the intention of quantifying the extent of under-age drinking in different settings. The results presented in this paper indicate a continuum of drinking styles between what might be regarded as low-risk and high-risk circumstances. At one extreme, much drinking tended to take place within the family home, usually under parental supervision. At the opposite extreme, other alcohol consumption took place in a variety of public or 'hidden' outdoor locations. Consumption in these latter location types more often resulted in intoxication. Also, more dangerous, high alcohol, large volume beverages (e.g. white cider) tended to be consumed in more risky locations. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of the potential harm and delinquency that can be associated with adolescent drinking.