Young Danes—Europe’s Heaviest Drinkers
It is not a secret that drinking alcohol is a huge part of many people’s lives. In society, this is called “social drinking”. When you go to an event it is common to drink one or two glasses.
When it comes to parties, the amount of alcohol consumed is even greater.
In this article, we look at the statistics of alcohol consumption in Denmark, especially among young people.
In Denmark, Drinking Reaches New Proportions
Statistics show that among 15- and 16-year-olds in Denmark, 32% reported having been drunk in the past 30 days. In comparison, the European average is 13%. (Note that in Denmark a person over the age of 16 can legally buy light alcoholic drinks.)
The most common reason young people give for drinking alcohol is that meeting with others and drinking is the “social” thing to do.
However, about 73% say that while under the influence of alcohol, they did something they now regret having done.
Half of those between the ages of 15 and 25 claim to have experienced pressure from their peers to drink alcohol.
Danes Drink Alcohol More Often
One study shows that adult Danes drink alcohol 2.5 times a week on average, which is more frequent than in the other Nordic countries.
Danish people have their own drinking culture which you can see when going out on a Friday or Sunday evening. A huge variety of bars and restaurants welcome you with “lucky hours” and different offers for you to take one more drink.
“Denmark’s unfavorable Nordic first place for smoking and alcohol is one of the main causes of loss of healthy life years and life expectancy is shorter than in the other Nordic countries. In the five Nordic countries, Danish women have the lowest life expectancy and Danish men have the second lowest life expectancy,” Sisse Fagt (National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark).
“Denmark’s unfavorable Nordic first place for smoking and alcohol is one of the main causes of loss of healthy life years and life expectancy is shorter than in the other Nordic countries. In the five Nordic countries, Danish women have the lowest life expectancy and Danish men have the second lowest life expectancy,” Sisse Fagt
People Want to Change
People in Denmark are aware of the drinking problem and what drinking can do to one’s health and in spite of the fact that almost nine out of ten young people aged between 15 and 25 have been drunk, two-thirds admit that it is uncool to get very drunk.
Furthermore, 60% of young people believe that you don’t actually need to drink alcohol to have fun at parties and 61% of those between the ages of 15 and 25 think that Danish youth consume too much alcohol.
Those same 15- to 25-year-olds say that it’s usually easy to find alternatives to alcohol at events outside the home, while 28 percent of the youth say it’s difficult. They do say however that they would drink alcohol-free alternatives if more were available.
It is not easy to spot early signs of alcohol addiction. Sometimes a person does not even know he is starting to become addicted to a substance. If you know someone who needs help with drug or alcohol abuse, call us.
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