Alcohol Intoxications of Adolescents in Bavaria during the Covid-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT

Purpose The present study aims to gain insights into the alcohol consumption behavior of young people with an alcohol intoxication in Bavaria during the covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, the number of hospital admissions due to alcohol intoxications, characteristics of the admitted adolescents in comparison of 2020 versus previous years and the development of binge drinking as assessed by addiction prevention professionals will be addressed. Methods The research question will be answered with the help of 3 data sources Survey of addiction prevention professionals in 2020 (n = 41), survey of adolescents admitted to a clinic due to alcohol intoxication from 2014 to 2020 (n = 5046) and survey of the number of adolescents discharged as full inpatients with a diagnosis of F10 or T51 in a HaLT project collaborative clinic from 2018 to 2020 (n = 371). Results The frequency of hospital admissions due to alcohol intoxication is declining among young people in Bavaria in 2020 compared to previous years. At the same time, hints for more frequent risky consumption behavior among intoxicated adolescents in 2020 compared with previous years are shown by the more frequent causes of consumption intentional intoxication and abuse according to DSM-IV, the increased average blood alcohol concentrations of male adolescents, the decreasing awareness of the potentially life-threatening risks of intoxication and the increased proportion of repeatedly intoxicated young people. The incidence of binge drinking appears to be declining in 2020 compared with previous years, according to initial estimates. Conclusion Potential risk groups such as male adolescents and repeatedly intoxicated young people as well as new consumption settings should be the focus of further research and addiction prevention work under pandemic conditions. The extent to which these new consumption patterns will persist after the pandemic is over cannot be assessed at present.