[Youths and alcohol--drinking behavior of young people]

On the basis of several representative research findings of the Central Institute of Youth Research the drinking habits of young people are described. Besides the frequency of drinking, the weekly overall consumption of alcohol, the consumption of different kinds of alcoholic beverages as well as the combinations preferred were ascertained. A habitual daily alcohol intake of more than 40 g of pure alcohol was found among one fifth of the male workers up to the age of 35 and among 14 per cent of the male apprentices, but only among three per cent of the male intellectuals. We analyzed the conditions which encourage the abuse of alcohol on the societal and individual level as well as within social groups, and thus derived some conclusions for the prevention of alcohol abuse among adolescents. An effective reduction in the abuse of alcohol can--in the long term--only be achieved by a wide range of societal measures. The first step is to make the population more aware of the problems resulting from the abuse of alcohol.