Anthony Frosh speaks with Associate Professor Michael Livingston, one of the authors of a recently released book "Young People, Alcohol, and Risk: A Culture of Caution".

Some topics include:

· The change in youth culture from daring to risk averse

· Changes in alcohol use

· The extent that there is an impact of delaying (or expediting) introduction to alcohol

· Trends in other risk-taking behaviours with young people

· The extent to which these trends in other behaviours might be influenced by the trend in alcohol consumption

· The extent to which these changes in adolescence stick around in the mid-20s

· The impact of digital and surveillance technology, as well as social media etc

· The implications of these trends on our future

· The next areas of focus for policy and reach

· Potential unforeseen downsides of these otherwise positive developments

This episode is edited by Shalini Sen. Marketing is the domain of Sarah Guy.

Associate Professor Michael Livingston is a leading researcher at Curtin University's National Drug Research Institute, specialising in youth alcohol use, including long-term trends and policy impacts. A list of his publications can be found here: https://staffportal.curtin.edu.au/staff/profile/view/michael-livingston-39280c06/

And, as mentioned, Michael is also one two contributors to very long running (and excellent) food blog focussing on reviews of vegetarian and veg-friendly establishments. The blog is called "Where's the Beef" and can be found at https://herestheveg.blogspot.com/