Youth - Binge drinking is becoming rarer: fewer alcohol poisonings
The number of children and young people from Bavaria who had to be treated in hospital for alcohol poisoning was lower in 2022 than it had been for a long time: for the first time in over twenty years, it was below 2000. According to the latest data from 2022, exactly 1985 girls and boys between the ages of 10 and 19 were admitted to hospital with excessive alcohol levels. This is around four percent less than in 2021, according to the health insurance company DAK Bayern, citing data from the State Statistical Office. This means the downward trend is continuing.
Since the surveys began in 2000, the number of young binge drinkers in Bavaria had risen continuously until 2011. The trend reversed in 2012. There was then a significant decline in the first year of the pandemic, 2020. Experts attributed this to the fact that young people had fewer social occasions to drink excessively due to lockdowns and contact restrictions as a result of the coronavirus measures. The downward trend continued in 2021 and 2022.
New approach to alcohol due to the coronavirus pandemic
It is possible that young people have "tried out a different approach to alcohol during the pandemic and have retained these habits", explained a spokeswoman for the Federal Center for Health Education. To put this into perspective: In Bavaria, the average number of young alcohol patients treated before the pandemic was just under 4050 in the years 2016 to 2019, roughly twice as many as recently.
According to the latest data from 2022, 1095 boys and 890 girls were among those affected in Bavaria. At minus 6.8 percent, the decline for the latter was significantly higher than for boys at minus 0.9 percent.
Alcohol is harmful for teenagers in the smallest quantities
Although the continuing trend is encouraging, DAK state head Sophie Schwab told the German Press Agency in Munich. "But despite falling numbers of alcohol poisoning, every single young person is still one too many."
Bavaria's Health Minister Judith Gerlach (CSU) pointed out that even the smallest amounts of alcohol can have dangerous health consequences for children and young people. "Alcohol can have a lasting effect on the development of the brain and other organs and thus severely disrupt the physical and mental development of young people in particular."
The DAK has therefore been organizing the poster competition "colorful instead of blue" under the patronage of the ministry for years. The next deadline for entries is March 31, and there are cash prizes of 12,000 euros.
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The decrease in alcohol-related hospitalizations among Bavarian children and young people is a positive trend, with 1985 cases of alcohol poisoning in 2022, which is below 2000 for the first time in over two decades. This decline in excessive alcohol consumption can be attributed to the impact of coronavirus measures, which reduced social occasions for young people to drink excessively. Despite this progress, the DAK state head emphasizes that every single case of alcohol poisoning among youth is regrettable. Alcohol can have serious health consequences for children, potentially impacting their brain and overall development. To raise awareness about the dangers of alcohol, the DAK organizes the "colorful instead of blue" poster competition annually. In Bavaria before the pandemic, the average number of young alcohol patients was around 4050 per year, highlighting the significance of these efforts.
Source: www.stern.de
