In the past several years, adolescent alcohol consumption has become a growing problem in a number of European countries. Problematic drinking behaviours, such as binge drinking and the early age at which youths start consuming alcohol and other drugs, have not only raised health concerns, but may also have implications for society as a whole. Against this backdrop, the AAA-Prevent project (Alcohol use Among Adolescents in Europe, Environmental Research and Preventive Actions) conducted a three-year study that examined the extent of adolescent alcohol and drug consumption in 25 European countries from a multilevel perspective.
Many alcohol-related studies stipulate that alcohol consumption merely manifests as the result of individual choice. This report however, recognizes the complexity of the issue at hand, and takes a closer look at the push and pull effects of a variety of risk and protective factors in different social domains and structural levels in 25 European countries. The scope of this study also allowed for an extensive comparison of the influence of the various domains and risk factors on youth substance use, between European regions and countries. At the same time taking into consideration the diversity of national alcohol policies and cultural and socioeconomic indicators. It is in essence the different contexts which played a central role in the analyses.
In addition to this report, with a glimpse towards the future, the AAA-Prevent project also documented and elaborated on the different effective adolescent substance use prevention programs and interventions in Europe. These were presented on the project website. The aim of this database is to provide policymakers and practitioners with a pragmatic overview of effective youth alcohol prevention strategies in Europe.