Normalisation of non‐drinking? 15–16‐year‐olds' accounts of refraining from alcohol

Abstract

Introduction and Aims In many countries, adolescents' drinking has decreased substantially over recent years. This study aims to explore Norwegian adolescents' accounts of refraining from drinking alcohol and how their explanations are contextualised. Design and Methods Semi‐structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 95 adolescents aged 15–16 years (50 females), recruited from six schools in Norway. Interviews examined perceptions and experience of alcohol use, and how non‐drinking was reasoned for. Results The adolescents' accounts of refraining from alcohol were sorted into three categories: (i) influence from non‐drinking peers and negative social norms towards alcohol use: non‐drinking was described as the norm in their age group; (ii) legal age and relationship to parents: age limits and parents' disapproval of drinking was perceived as justifiable; and (iii) non‐drinking to sustain control: alcohol use was perceived as implying loss of control of self‐presentation in specific situations, and risk of negative exposure on social media. It was also seen as implying risk of loss of control of future achievement in school or sports. Discussion and Conclusions The adolescents' explanations for non‐drinking indicated a devaluation in the social position of alcohol among younger adolescents. Non‐drinking was described as majority behaviour and fitting in with a life orientation towards both present‐day and future achievement. Their accounts pointed towards a normative effect of age limits on buying alcohol and highlighted the significance of emotional closeness and open communication about alcohol with parents. The results indicate a differentiated normalisation of non‐drinking in this age group.

Normalization of Non-Drinking? Health, School Situation and Social Relations among Swedish Ninth Graders That Drink and Do Not Drink Alcohol

“…Our results echo those of two recent qualitative studies from Norway [27] and Sweden [28] that also concluded that the cultural position of alcohol has changed among adolescents. The qualitative findings suggest that alcohol has lost its importance in socializing situations between peers and that today's adolescents do not perceive any peer pressure to drink [28] which is also supported by quantitative findings of drinking motives among Swedish youth [29].…”

Decline in adolescent drinking: Some possible explanations

“…We found that the time spent on homework increased and that school misconduct decreased, and that these changes also contributed to explain the drop in drinking to intoxication. This fits well with a recent finding that a stronger emphasis on academic performance is not compatible with heavy alcohol consumption and frequent drinking to intoxication [32]. Hegna et al [34] noted that the 'educational explosion' over the past few decades has left fewer options for those who do not complete senior high school, and it has been claimed that this has led to a more 'conformist' youth generation [35].…”

“…Parents' knowledge about their adolescent offspring's whereabouts has increased, and alcohol-specific parenting practices have become more restrictive [6,[11][12][13]. At least in the Nordic countries, it seems that young people want to perform better at school than previously, with higher academic ambitions [8,32], which fits our findings of more school conscientiousness. Finally, and well in line with the above-mentioned changes in young people's lives, delinquency and other risk-taking behaviours have declined in several countries [8,10,30,31], as we also found.…”

“No one associates alcohol with being in good health”: Health and wellbeing as imperatives to manage alcohol use for young people

“…Fry, 2010;Lindsay, 2009), may be becoming a significant and avoidable risk for young people (e.g. Scheffels et al, 2020).…”