The recently published Health Research Board overview on substance use among young people included some encouraging trends in relation to alcohol consumption. The age at which people start to drink has increased and more adolescents are abstaining from alcohol. In this issue of Drugnet, the overview’s lead author reviews recent international literature on the topic of changing alcohol consumption behaviour. Explanations for these changes include increased parental awareness of the harms associated with early initiation of alcohol use, a greater emphasis on wellbeing among young people, and more time spent socialising online resulting in fewer opportunities to consume alcohol with peers.