Alcohol drinking among adolescents from town and mountainous areas in north Italy

Alcohol consumption was investigated among 9th and 13th grade high school students in the town of Brescia (an urban area) and in the Local Health Unit of Breno, a mountainous area in the province of Brescia. A total of 1364 students from Brescia and 1373 from Breno completed an anonymous questionnaire during school time. In both groups alcohol consumption was greater among 13th graders (modal age: 18 years) and males than 9th graders (modal age: 14 years) and females. Beer was the favourite alcoholic beverage, but wine was the most widely consumed daily beverage: among males, about 8% in grade 9 and 15% in grade 13 drank at least one glass of wine every day. The majority of both 9th and 13th graders had more than one type of alcoholic beverage a week, although many females drank beer only. Total alcohol consumption was higher among the mountainous area students than urban students, especially 9th graders, and greater differences were observed in the consumption of beer with respect to wine. The proportion of male students from Brescia and Breno who consumed more than 6 alcohol units a week were, respectively, 17% and 25% in grade 9 and 36% and 42% in grade 13. A higher prevalence of drunkenness was found among the students from the mountainous area with respect to the urban students, especially males. Among 13th grade males, 42% of students from Brescia and 60% from Breno claimed one or more episodes of drunkenness during the year prior to the interview.