New Trends? New Patterns? – Explanations for Changes in Alcohol and Illicit Drug Use
A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 276
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Trends in different forms of addictive behaviour have been changing in many countries of the world. While most European countries have experienced a decline in both total per capita alcohol consumption and alcohol intake per occasion, several other countries in Asia, Africa and other regions have reported an increase in use. Changes in alcohol-related disorders and addiction show different tendencies in Europe and the rest of the world. In some countries, mostly European, alcohol-related mortality decreased, while several other countries, such as those within African and Americas regions, have reported an increase in the proportion of alcohol-related mortality compared to the total mortality.
Trends in illicit drug use also show different tendencies by regions and countries. While some data demonstrate that the earlier increase in the prevalence of illicit drug use has stopped or even declined, the number of drug users has considerably increased in the world due to several socio-demographic changes. We have never seen such a complex situation in drug using behaviour before, characterised by such a diversity in the patterns of drug consumption.
Thus far, none of the studies analysing the new trends in risk behaviour and consumption patterns have provided clear evidence for this phenomenon.
Among the possible reasons we can presume an increased awareness of harm, changes in leisure activities, increase in screen time, changes in life satisfaction and well-being, the adoption of “Western” culture and attitudes, changes in parenting, the widespread new forms of substance use and addiction (medicines, new psychoactive drugs) and behaviour addictions such as problematic internet, social media use, gambling, gaming, etc.
Hereby we call for papers for our current Special Issue that will address the changing habits in alcohol and illicit drug use and seek an explanation for these changes. Papers based on empirical surveys, focusing on the population in general or adolescents facing high academic standards and expectations are especially welcome.
Prof. Dr. Zsuzsanna Elekes
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- alcohol use
- illicit drugs
- leisure time
- harm perception
- trends
- well-being
- behavior addiction
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