Abstinence or decreasing consumption among adolescents: importance of reasons

This study determined the pervasiveness of reasons for abstinence or for decreasing alcohol consumption among 196 high school students in eastern North Carolina. Expanding upon prior research, 29 personal, social, and environmental reasons were examined. Generally, the less a student drank, the more important a reason was for abstaining or for a reduction in alcohol intake. Reasons rated important by a majority of all adolescent drinking groups, including heavy drinkers, were related to health, self-esteem/self-control, and parental disapproval/disappointment.