Alcohol
Who is most affected and why?
There are 3 main risk factors for developing problematic alcohol use related harms later in life.
1. Persistent, multiple factors of disadvantage.
Substance use is used as a coping mechanism in response to stress or pain.
2. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's).
ACE's can disrupt neurodevelopment, create coping mechanisms like self-medication, lead to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, and increasing vulnerability to further trauma. Substances are used to escape distress, numb painful emotions, or as a form of self-harm, leading to a cyclical relationship where addiction can increase the likelihood of further trauma.
3. Parental substance use.
If a parent uses substances this creates a higher-risk environment where children may be more susceptible to developing their own substance use disorders.
Other risk factors (and therefore inversely, protective factors) related to alcohol use, which can increase individuals' chance of experiencing health inequalities and poor health outcomes are:
- people who attend nightclubs and festivals
- domestic abuse
- sexually exploited or sexually assaulted
- involved in sex work
- homelessness
- LGBTQ+
- not in employment
- children and young people looked after and or carers
- children and young people in contact with young offenders but not in secure environments
- poor mental health
