Pathways for practice and policy to reduce adolescent alcohol abuse: interpretations from a qualitative study.

This paper highlights pathways for practice and policy to reduce alcohol abuse among adolescents aged 14-17 years. These pathways have been generated following a qualitative study in England that explored adolescents' motivations for binge drinking and the associated outcomes. There are three distinct pathways under consideration. Firstly, the research clearly evidences the close link between binge drinking and an array of risky outcomes, thus supporting policies that tackle generic risk taking (such as Youth Development Programmes). Secondly, given the widely reported positive motivations for binge drinking, adopting a harm-minimisation approach may be more appropriate than promoting abstinence. This harm-minimisation approach can build on strategies reported by adolescents (such as drinking in groups) and consider safer, more supervised venues for adolescent drinking. Thirdly, this study highlights key risk groups, which would arguably be in greater need of harm-minimisation strategies. These were adolescents who drank primarily for the 'buzz', and also those younger age groups (particularly 14 and 15-year-olds) whose drinking was mostly confined to unsupervised, often outdoor locations. This was in contrast to slightly older age groups who, although illegally, were often able to access licensed premises which exerted more control over their drinking. The paper closes by referencing some of the wider policy issues, which must be taken into consideration when attempting to change the culture of binge drinking in England. These include issues surrounding the advertising and marketing of alcohol, the provision of alcohol education in schools and the promotion of alternative, safer activities for adolescents.