Danish teens still most boozy in Europe

2015 ESPAD Report reveals that a third of Danish 15-16 year olds have been intoxicated in the past month

The newly-released 2015 ESPAD Report has found that Danish teens aged 15-16 are more often intoxicated than their European peers.

The report, compiled and published by ESPAD (European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs), revealed that 32 percent of the 1,670 Danish teens surveyed had been intoxicated at least once over the past 30 days.

The average across the 35 European nations that took part in the report (here in English) was 13 percent.

The report also revealed that 92 percent of Danes born in 1999, so those aged 17-18, have drunk alcohol in the past year, compared to a European average of 80 percent. Interestingly, however, the Danish use of cannabis was lower than the European average.

“The lifetime uses of cannabis and tranquillisers or sedatives without a prescription were 4 percentage points lower than the ESPAD average,” the report found.

“Hence, the most striking thing about Denmark is that reported alcohol use is extensive, as the other variables tend to be below the ESPAD average.”

READ MORE: Danish government would allow minors to serve alcohol

Lax legislation 
According to Professor Morten Grønbek, the head of the Department of Public Health at the University of Southern Denmark, one of the reasons that Danish youngsters booze it up so much is accessibility.

He argues that the age limit for buying alcohol in shops in Denmark is too complex. It is not rigidly set at 18 as in other nations. And he doesn’t buy the contention that the youngsters are simply mirroring their parents.

“While young Danes are always leading the way compared to other nations, Danish adults don’t,” he told Metroxpress newspaper.

“If you look at how many litres of pure alcohol Danish adults drink, we are roughly in the middle of the pack in Europe.”

Denmark is ranked 26th in the world according to how much pure alcohol they drink per year, according to the WHO.




  • Today is 10 years from Copenhagen terrorist attack

    Today is 10 years from Copenhagen terrorist attack

    On February 14 and 15, the last terrorist attack took place in Denmark. Another episode occurred in 2022, but in that case, there was no political motive behind it

  • Enter Christiania: how the Freetown works

    Enter Christiania: how the Freetown works

    We all know Christiania and have been there at least once. But how does the Freetown work? How are decisions made? Can a person move there? Is there rent or bills to pay? British journalist Dave Wood wrote a reportage on Christiania for The Copenhagen Post.

  • The struggles of Asian women in Denmark’s labour market

    The struggles of Asian women in Denmark’s labour market

    Isha Thapa unfolds her research “An Analysis on the Inclusivity and Integration of South Asian Women in High-Skilled Jobs within the Danish Labor Market”. Thapa describes the systemic and social challenges these women face, ranging from barriers in social capital to cultural integration.

  • Parents in Denmark reject social media monitoring 

    Parents in Denmark reject social media monitoring 

    Most parents in Denmark reject using social media parental controls despite knowing about them. A new study questions the effectiveness of these tools in ensuring children’s online safety.

  • Analysis: we need a different education system for international children in Denmark

    Analysis: we need a different education system for international children in Denmark

    Data analyst Kelly Draper Rasmussen highlights that Denmark sees peaks in international migration during early childhood and high school years. However, with only one international education option, many families are forced to leave to secure different opportunities for their children.

  • Danish Refugee Council to lay off up to 2,000 staff

    Danish Refugee Council to lay off up to 2,000 staff

    After the anticipation from The Copenhagen Post, a press release by DRC has confirmed the plan to lay off thousands of employees in response to the recent halt of foreign aid spending by the Trump administration.