Drinking Habits and Alcohol‐Related Beliefs of Australian, Papua New Guinean and American Youth

Summary Results are reported from a cross‐national investigation of the drinking habits and beliefs about alcohol of 793 male and 365 female high school students in Australia, Papua New Guinea and the United States. Only a third of Papua New Guinean males and a tenth of Papua New Guinean females had drunk alcohol. In contrast, almost all Australian and American students had drunk alcohol, with about half the males and Australian females having a drink in the previous week. Across cultures students were against drinking and driving, and the majority agreed that alcohol was detrimental to the healthy development of children and to one's own health.