A new report from the Danish Board of Health shows that some 25 young people between the ages of 15 – 29 have died from excessive drinking in the past seven years and on one year alone – 2008 – 3,000 young people went to hospital with alcohol poisoning.

“These are worrying figures,” says Board of Health Department Head Mia Fischermann, adding that the figures once again show that Danish youth has the unfortunate European drinking record.

“Young people in Northern Europe do not drink as often as young people in Southern Europe – but they drink more when they do drink,” she says.

“Danish youth differs from other northern European youth in that they drink more often – and when they do drink, they drink the most,” Fischermann adds.

Northern Jutland
The Board’s figures also show that teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 are admitted to emergency wards as a result of alcohol twice as often as the 20-29 age group, and much more than older groups.

Another table in the report shows that northern Jutlanders generally drink less than other Danes – but that the youngest from this area break the trend and are admitted as much as in other parts of the country.

“It seems that young people across the country have the same sort of drinking culture,” Fischermann says.

Drink most in Europe
Figures from a European report have previously shown that half of Danish 15 and 16 year olds said they had been drunk in the 30 days previous to being canvassed, a far higher proportion than young people in other European countries.

Legal age
Although alcohol consumption among young people appears to have fallen slightly, the government is preparing to raise the legal age at which young people can buy alcoholic beverages stronger than beer from 16 to 18 years of age.

But Liberal Party Prevention Spokeswoman Sophie Løhde says bans are not the way forward.

“We cannot ban ourselves out of every problem and we have to do something about this. I often hear people say that it’s the neighbour’s boy who drinks. But it can’t always be him,” she says.

“We have to do more to get young people and teachers to reflect more on what is acceptable at their High School parties,” she adds.

The Board of Health’s figures do show major differences between local council areas, with Oddsherred Council the area with most admissions.

“They call us the country bumpkin council, we have low employment and social problems. Many young people are apparently unable to get together and believe that they are good enough without drinking themselves silly. It seems that social competences have broken down,” says Oddsherred Council Abuse Consultant Jan Herforth.