Several criteria (frequency, hazardous use, drunkenness) were used to delin
eate four distinct groups and to analyse the relations between patterns of
alcohol use and other health variables. In the 1993 Swiss Multicentre Adole
scent Survey on Health, anonymous self-administered questionnaires were dis
tributed to a national representative sample of in-school 15 to 20-year-old
adolescents. Of the respondents, 25% answered a module targeting alcohol u
se (n = 2359) of whom 13% were totally abstinent, 55.1% were moderate drink
ers (less than or equal to 1 drink/week and <3 times drunk), 21.7% were 'so
cial' drinkers (>3 times drunk and < twice driven when drunk) and 10.2% wer
e 'problem drinkers' (> twice driven whilst drunk or >1 drink/day). Differe
nces between problem drinkers and the rest of the sample showed the former
as being predominantly boys with an odds ratio (OR) of 6.3, having a higher
lifetime prevalence rate of cannabis use (OR = 3.4), never using seat belt
s (OR = 2.5), having their family/peers more often involved in alcohol cons
umption (OR = 1.9), being predominantly apprentices (against high school pu
pils OR = 1.9), having cheated during courses (OR = 1.9), being a member of
a gang (OR = 1.7), having stolen in a public area (OR = 1.7) and having co
nsidered suicide (OR = 1.8).
Conclusion Within the Swiss context, whereas moderate/occasional use of alc
ohol must be considered as part of an adolescents' development, regular use
of alcohol, often associated with drunkenness and driving while drunk, is
associated with various health hazards and problems. Preventive strategies
should be built accordingly.