Alcohol and Cigarette Use among Adolescents and Young Adults in Austria from 2004–2020: Patterns of Change and Associations with Socioeconomic Variables

Abstract

Background: Adolescents and young adults are a crucial target group for preventing harm related to substance use. Recently, declining alcohol and tobacco consumption in young people has been observed in many countries. Based on survey data from 2004 to 2020, we describe time trends for several subgroups of adolescents and young adults (based on consumption levels and socioeconomic variables) and analyze associations between the level of alcohol per capita consumption or daily smoking and socioeconomic variables. Methods: Time trends for males and females are analyzed by a two-way ANOVA and predictors of use by using multivariate regression and logistic regression. Results: Alcohol per capita consumption decreased significantly for both sexes in the 16-year period, with male and female consumption levels converging. Daily smoking was equally prevalent for young males and females and decreased to a similar degree for both sexes. Being male and living in rural areas are associated with a higher level of alcohol consumption. Daily smoking is associated with a low level of education and is more prevalent among young adults who have already started to work. Conclusions: The decline in alcohol use and daily smoking among adolescents and young adults is taking place simultaneously. However, higher levels of alcohol consumption and daily smoking occur in different groups of adolescents and young adults, which should be considered in prevention strategies.

Mental Health and Smoking-Related Determinants of Alcohol Drinking Experience in Korean Adolescents

“…It was found that gender, school year, and academic performance were statistically significant predictors of drinking experience. Some studies have already reported that drinking behaviors were higher in male students [ 2 , 14 ]. This study found evidence consistent with this, possibly because female students had more positive attitudes than male students toward the early prevention of drinking or smoking [ 15 ].…”

“…Students from middle and lower economic statuses also had a high drinking rate, which was linked to the high prevalence of alcohol use disorder among Korean adults in the low-income group [ 18 ]. In contrast, some studies have reported that alcohol and tobacco consumption rank high among public health priorities for young adolescents in affluent countries [ 14 ]. The Korean economy is the world’s 10th largest in terms of scale and 18th largest in per capita income among the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries [ 22 ].…”

“…Recently, alcohol consumption and smoking rates among adolescents have declined globally [ 1 , 14 ]. South Korea also showed a similar trend, with drinking and smoking rates in 2020 and 2021 decreasing by 3–4% compared to 2019 [ 13 ].…”

Alcohol, Tobacco and Cannabis Consumption on Physical Activity and Physical and Social Self-Concept in Secondary School Students: An Explanatory Model Regarding Gender

“…Alcohol consumption can lead to numerous health problems such as problems related to bone density, reproduction, and even fertility [ 6 , 7 ]. Tobacco use may also begin during this stage, as this substance acts as a facilitator of social interaction and is socially approved [ 8 , 9 ]; however, tobacco use has become a public health problem, as it is occurring earlier in young adolescents. The onset of alcohol and tobacco consumption may precede the consumption of substances such as cannabis, with numerous studies [ 10 , 11 , 12 ] affirming the effects of this substance on the brain, from a functional and structural point of view.…”