Declining drinking among adolescents: are we seeing a denormalisation of drinking and a normalisation of non-drinking?

Article


Caluzzi, G., Livingston, M., Holmes, J., MacLean, S., Lubman, D., Dietze, P., Vashishtha, R., Herring, R. and Pennay, A. 2022. Declining drinking among adolescents: are we seeing a denormalisation of drinking and a normalisation of non-drinking? Addiction. 117 (5), pp. 1204-1212. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15611
TypeArticle
TitleDeclining drinking among adolescents: are we seeing a denormalisation of drinking and a normalisation of non-drinking?
AuthorsCaluzzi, G., Livingston, M., Holmes, J., MacLean, S., Lubman, D., Dietze, P., Vashishtha, R., Herring, R. and Pennay, A.
Abstract

Background
In the early 2000s, alcohol use among young people began to decline in many western countries, especially among adolescents (aged between 12-17 years old). These declines have continued steadily over the past two decades, against the backdrop of much smaller declines among the general population.
Argument
Hypotheses examining individual factors fail adequately to provide the necessary ‘big picture’ thinking needed to understand declines in adolescent drinking. We use the normalisation thesis to argue that there is strong international evidence for both processes of denormalisation of drinking and normalisation of non-drinking occurring for adolescents in many western countries.
Conclusions
Research on declining adolescent drinking provides evidence of both denormalisation of alcohol consumption and normalisation of non-drinking. This has implications for enabling policy environments more amenable to regulation and increasing the acceptability of non-drinking in social contexts. Normalisation theory (and its various interpretations) provides a useful multi-dimensional tool for understanding declines in adolescent drinking.

KeywordsAdolescent; alcohol; declining drinking ; denormalisation; non-drinking; normalisation
PublisherWiley
JournalAddiction
ISSN0965-2140
Electronic1360-0443
Publication dates
Online14 Jul 2021
Print04 Apr 2022
Publication process dates
Deposited29 Jun 2021
Accepted08 Jun 2021
Output statusPublished
Accepted author manuscript
Copyright Statement

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Caluzzi, G., Livingston, M., Holmes, J., MacLean, S., Lubman, D., Dietze, P., Vashishtha, R., Herring, R., and Pennay, A. (2021) Declining drinking among adolescents: Are we seeing a denormalisation of drinking and a normalisation of non-drinking?. Addiction. 2022; 117: 1204– 1212, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15611. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15611
Web of Science identifierWOS:000673441700001
LanguageEnglish
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