Health
Alcohol consumption among young people: fewer alcohol poisonings?
Despite the falling number of cases, the risk of alcohol poisoning is particularly high among young people. photo
© Silas Stein/dpa
Adolescents are particularly sensitive to alcohol. Recently there has been a positive trend in alcohol consumption. Will the trend continue?
The number of adolescents diagnosed with acute Alcohol poisoning requiring hospital treatment has continued to decline. As the Federal Statistical Office announced, last year there were a good 11,500 young people between the ages of 10 and 19. That was 1.3 percent less than in 2021 and 43.1 percent less than before the 2019 corona pandemic.
“The number of cases has fallen for the third year in a row and reached its lowest level since 2001 in 2022,” reported the Wiesbaden statisticians. The highest number was in 2012 with around 26,700 treatment cases in this age group.
The pandemic years with canceled festivals, closed restaurants and contact restrictions contributed to the decline. Demographic effects also play a role: the population in the 10 to 19 age group shrank by 16.6 percent between 2001 and 2022.
15 to 19 year olds – across all age groups including adults – are the most frequently affected group when it comes to the number of hospital stays due to alcohol abuse: In this age group, there were by far the highest number in 2022 with 247 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. In the 50 to 54 age group, only 104 cases per 100,000 inhabitants were counted.
Motto “Know your limit”
The proportion of non-drinkers is also growing. In a study by the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA), only 57.5 percent of 12 to 17 year olds said that they had drunk alcohol at least once in their lives. 20 years ago it was 87 percent. Under the motto “Know your limit”, the BzGA provides extensive information about the consequences of alcohol consumption.
According to the BZgA, young people react more sensitively to alcohol than adults. This is mainly because organs and especially the brain are still developing. “At least until the age of 21, important restructuring processes take place in the brain that can be disrupted by alcohol,” says the BZgA. “During this time, alcohol, even in small quantities, can cause considerable damage. Therefore, any alcohol consumption is particularly unhealthy in this age group.”
The German Center for Addiction Issues (DHS) warns: “Alcohol causes harm with every sip. It is a cell poison.” When presenting the “Addiction Yearbook 2023,” DHS managing director Christina Rummel called for political measures in addition to prevention campaigns, for example in schools. “This is mainly about three points: raising alcohol prices, restricting the current 24/7 availability and regulating alcohol advertising,” said Rummel.