According to the journal “Pediatrics” there is an association between adolescents viewing drinking in movies and binge drinking. The study involved six European countries including Iceland, Germany, Poland, Netherlands, Scotland and Italy.

According to Pediatrics, “Alcohol-related health and social problems are prevalent in almost all societies that consume alcohol. For young people, injury remains the leading cause of death in every region of the world, with most deaths associated with motor vehicles; more than half of these are associated with driving under the influence of alcohol. There is consistent evidence that higher alcohol consumption in adolescence continues into adulthood and is also associated with later alcohol problems and alcohol dependence. Furthermore, heavy alcohol use in adolescence has been found to be related to suicide, neurocognitive impairment, and impaired brain development. Thus, preventing underage drinking is an important public health goal.”

The study surveyed over 16,000 students ages 10 – 19. A list of 50 popular movies was created in regard to the survey which showed drinking scenes over 10,000 times. Of interest, the survey says that 20-percent of Italian students report having had at least one alcohol binging episode in their lifetimes while 40-percent of Scottish students reported the same.