Alcohol consumption in young adults in the rural communities of Spain.

In the spring of 1987, the patterns of alcohol consumption in 1,886 young people (14-30 years old) from the rural communities (less than 10,000 inhabitants) of Castile and León (Spain) were analysed. 64.1% of the young adults took alcoholic drinks at least once a week, while 24.4% were 'daily' consumers. Beer (56%) was the preferred drink, followed by gin (22.4%) and wine (21.3%). The age of starting to drink was close to 16 years old and the alcohol intake per capita was 19 g/day. Both frequency and intake were higher among males and at weekends. The main reported reason for drinking was 'because I like its taste' (39.1%). The results confirm the common consumption of alcoholic drinks among Spanish young adults, the establishment of beer as the preferred drink and the more extensive consumption of alcohol by males and at weekends.