Availability and consumption of different alcoholic beverages and use of drinking contexts among adolescents in three Mexican cities.

Despite high rates of youth drinking in Mexico, little is known about the availability and consumption of specific types of alcoholic beverages within this population or the contexts in which alcohol is consumed. Objectives: This descriptive study examined alcohol consumption, perceived availability, and purchase of different types of alcoholic beverages (i.e., beer, wine, tequila, other spirits, pre-mixed cocktails, alcohol energy drinks, homemade alcohol), and drinking contexts. Methods: The sample comprised 594 students aged 12-17 in three cities in central Northeastern Mexico, where the legal drinking age is 18. Results: Over half had consumed alcohol in the past year. Of past-year drinkers, almost 57% had consumed alcohol in the past 30 days. Over half of these students reported that they or their friends had purchased alcohol at an off-premise establishment for their personal consumption, and 40% had consumed it at an on-premise establishment. Beer, which almost 60% of the study's adolescents thought was either fairly or very easy to get, was the most commonly consumed type of alcoholic beverage in the past 30 days. The majority of youth (70%) reported that their last drinking location was at home, someone else's home, or a public place. Importantly, however, 39% of young drinkers reported that the last time they consumed alcohol was at an on-premise establishment, and most of these youth (90%) did so in the absence of their parents. Conclusions/Importance: The findings suggest the need to implement and enforce measures to decrease retail and social alcohol availability to Mexican youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]