Youth drinking patterns and their perception on policy

In Lebanon, more youth are drinking alcohol and starting at a younger age. A recent university survey shows that 88 per cent of youth feel alcohol is very easy to obtain, and 77 per cent have never been asked to show their ID when purchasing and being served.

In her Global Alcohol Policy Conference (GAPC) presentation, Youth’s perceptions of policy-level factors and their drinking patterns: Data from Lebanon, Lilian Ghandour, an Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Applied Biostatistics at the American University of Beirut, emphasised the need for an evidence-informed alcohol harm reduction policy for Lebanon.

Dr Ghandour conducted a survey of 1,115 university students that analysed youth’s drinking patterns and their relation to policy-level factors in Lebanon.

Results of Dr Ghandour’s study revealed that alcohol is perceived by youth to be cheap, accessible and highly advertised and marketed, all contributing factors to youth drinking patterns.

“These findings, coupled with other local evidence, are important to continue the dialogue with the various stakeholders and push forward an effective national policy for alcohol harm reduction,” said Dr Ghandour.

Dr Ghandour used this past research and analysis in her GAPC presentation to examine the direct and indirect influences of policy-relevant factors and psychosocial mediators on binge drinking and alcohol use disorders.

In this short video, filmed at GAPC 2017 in Melbourne, Dr Ghandour elaborates on why alcohol-harm reduction policies in Lebanon are needed to reduce alcohol-related harms among its young population.

[vimeo id=”236841746″]