The Authors’ Own Words: Uneven reductions in high school students’ alcohol use from 2007 to 2012 by age, sex and socio-economic strata

The Authors’ Own Words:

We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work.

Uneven reductions in high school students’ alcohol use from 2007 to 2012 by age, sex and socio-economic strata

Nicki Jackson, Simon Denny, Janie Sheridan, Terry Fleming, Terryann Clark, Roshini Peiris-John & Shanthi Ameratunga

Substance Abuse Vol. 38, Iss. 1, 2017

“Many Western countries are currently witnessing declining adolescent alcohol consumption. However, there has been a dearth of investigation into whether these declines are the result of fewer drinking occasions and/or lower quantities of alcohol being consumed in a drinking occasion. Greater understanding of these shifts could signal the drivers of positive behavioral change. This study found that the declines in consumption among New Zealand adolescents were primarily driven by fewer drinking occasions, with the style in which alcohol is consumed (i.e. heavy) more resistant to change. Uneven educations in use were evident across socio-economic strata, particularly among young adolescent females, signalling the need for future research to use nuanced analyses to identify sub-population trends.”