The Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s report ‘Local Variations in Youth Drinking Cultures’ analysed whether young people’s drinking habits are determined by where they live. The report’s authors surveyed participants in the north-east and south-east.
It found that young people “actively sought out ‘clusters’ of youth-orientated bars”, and a concentration of “clusters” in the north east formed part of the reason for young people to drink more than they originally intended.
The report said: “The places visited on a night out had clusters of youth-oriented venues. Small towns with only one street of bars and clubs were as popular because they offered a different experience, such as the opportunity to dance or listen to music.
“The north-eastern area had one major city with a high concentration of youth-oriented venues separated into different clusters within the 1km-square area of the city centre. The close proximity of these licensed premises and the competition between them heightened the pressure to drink more. The atmosphere in the streets was more exuberant and uninhibited.”
It explained that this differed in the south-east where there was less choice and venues were located further apart.
The report added: “The degree to which clusters of bars and clubs were dispersed across urban centres appeared to have an impact on the frequency and intensity of ‘a good night out’. Licensing and planning authorities could encourage dispersal rather than concentration of youth drinking clusters to ‘dilute’ the experience.”
It said that encouraging non-alcohol-related activities such as live music or dancing could also help reduce alcohol consumption.