Cultural Contexts at a Glance, No. 1: Alcohol consumption in the WHO European Region (2020)

Over the last 40 years, the emphasis on the night-time economy has increased. The combination of new youth-oriented nightclubs and bars in towns, the desire among urban planners to encourage European “café culture” and the expansion of 24-hour licensing has instigated a change in the type, frequency and amount of alcohol being socially consumed. During the 1990s, as changes in drink preferences and attitudes to intoxication led to increased sessional consumption, concerns about binge drinking among young people increased.