Overview
- Norwegian sociologist Willy Pedersen reports a correlation between communal heavy drinking in late teens and twenties and higher later education and income.
- The findings draw on an 18‑year longitudinal study following more than 3,000 people from age 13 to 31.
- Pedersen frames alcohol use as a marker of sociality that may ease networking in young adulthood, while acknowledging that privilege could drive the pattern.
- The research distinguishes timing and context, noting that heavy use beginning in early adolescence predicted worse outcomes and that solitary drinking is discouraged.
- Public‑health voices, including Norway’s Linda Granlund and outside experts such as Paolo Deluca, emphasize well‑known health risks and advise reducing alcohol intake.