Dr. Tenenbaum - Environment vs. Personal Choice - 2 (No Music)

- We have good evidence to know that when people decide to partake in alcohol, whether they're youth, adults, or any point in the life course, we know that there are a number of factors that drive that behavior. It's not just about an individual's decision in a particular circumstance to drink or not to drink. If you're picturing a young person out at a party, you're thinking about, what is everyone else doing at that party? Is it socially acceptable, socially promoted to be drinking alcohol at the party? Whereas, if you have a society that's less pro-alcohol, people might think differently about how they consume. We know that in the current environment, with certain attitudes you have among young people, the marketing of alcohol, and the broad availability of alcohol, it's seen as a very normal thing to drink. And that can lead to harms, unfortunately.