Alcohol and young people
Evidence suggests that young people are drinking more alcohol than ever before, why do you think this is?So what is your view on this?
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‘Increased alcohol consumption – the result of a holistic depletion of this generation.’
Young people are drinking more and more alcohol? The reasons for this are numerous. I believe that it mainly stems from a holistic depletion of this generation, not in terms of material needs but concerning psychical, mental and spiritual thinking.
The young generation is becoming more and more secular, they do not believe in God any more and they do not grow up with Christian moral values. They need to find secular excitement in their lives because the world cannot offer them stability any more. No jobs no stable relationships, no future, no beliefs. Do you wonder why young people are drinking more and more alcohol? I don’t!
‘Can we blame the parents?’
Relations between family members can be a reason for this behavior. Sometimes parents don’t pay much attention to their children and they allow them to drink, smoke etc even though they know that both of this acts can lead to an addiction. The state also doesn’t check the alcohol providing places (i.e. bars, clubs, coffee shops , super markets) where alcohol is being sold to minors. Strict fines must be established in order to avoid such incidents. Education and out coming influence (media) can also make alcohol attractive to minors.
‘Less responsibilties and more money is the reason.’
I suppose that the reasons for many young Poles to be drinking more are less responsibilities and more money. It seems to me that young people earlier had to do more around household, now we ‘just’ have to learn. Busier parents have also less time to look after their children. And people are better off, so more money goes to youngsters’ pockets. To spend more money on alcohol is not a problem. Of course we can not underestimate the role of adverts directed to our generation, which promote drinking as part of being cool and happy. Drinking has always been a way to express ‘adultness’. The scary fact is that much younger kids want to act as ‘adults’ nowadays.
‘The answer could be that the little perspectives we have for the future.’
It may be true (although it depends on what evidence) that young people drink more alcohol nowadays than before, or smoke more pot, like in France (more than 50% of 18 year-olds have at least tried it). In Spain, some people explain the success of the “botellon’ by the fact that children always want to go further than their parents, and that the later the parents stay up and the more alcohol they drink, the more the teenagers want to stay up all night and get completely drunk or use LSD. However perhaps not all young people’s actions are explained by a need to go further than their parents.
The answer could be that the little perspectives we have for the future push some young people to go out a lot, trying to forget, but I don’t want to think of young people as alcoholics, although I know some Spaniards who feel bad all week if they haven’t got completely drunk in the week-end. I think there is a general movement that makes people go out more, and later, and perhaps drink more alcohol or do more drugs, just because that’s the image that many media show of youth and because many people seem to think that it’s the only possible way to have fun. Just like now, many young people start smoking in (childish, I admit) reaction to all the anti-cigarette campaigns, some of them drink a lot because they feel like it’s a way to show they’re young.
‘I think that young people is drinking more alcohol then ever before because is the result of the modern family’s model of life.’
Parents have less time for his children, so they give them Playstations, computers, … the same happens to young people that don’t have time to speak with their parents and find in alcohol and friends the solution for the problems they are experiencing. Then in our society we are getting adults sooner than before! This means that even with 12 years old (or less) it is possible to go to a disco. There are also some young people that go out every weekend with that age. So sooner these young people start drinking.
There is also much publicity about alcoholic drinking and it’s always associated with nice moments, nice people, nice places! The marketing campaigns are very well done and even the advice “drink with moderation” is so short that young people do not give the right attention. But the worst is when drunken people go to the roads and kill other innocents that on that moment had the unlucky of being also driving. And I think that this problem is caused by a lack of responsibility.
‘The increase in youth alcohol consumption is part of a trend of growing up ‘too soon’.’
The consumption of alcohol doesn’t just increase, but the age of people drinking gets younger and younger and the alcohol content in drinks gets higher. And in my opinion it is all due to psychological reasons.
The most direct reason for this is peer pressure. The young are easily influenced by their friends, classmates etc. Drinking is perceived positively – it is something that makes one cool, fun, popular and grown up. Alcohol gives kids a sense of belonging, facilitates communication, and possibly makes them feel good about themselves. As it is a “forbidden fruit” it is especially desired. A lot, of course depends on what was the attitude towards drinking in their families when they were growing up.
Media’s influence is more indirect yet powerful. As the existing markets’ potential to grow is rather small the alcohol producers need to find and aim for new segments. Out of all the people not yet consuming alcohol, the easiest to reach (and probably the only possible) target group are young people. The alcohol promotion paints a picture of a life that young want to live. Advertising of alcohol is always present, on the billboards on the street or even on youth events, so it leaves an impression that alcohol is an inseparable part of daily life, just like toothpaste for example.
Most of the idols young people have are contributing to that trend as well. As those “role models” are usually young as well, they don’t quite realize what are the consequences of them appearing in commercials for alcohol or commercial events sponsored by alcohol producers. They show up in photos of gossip magazines holding drinks or give interviews about “celebrity parties” they’ve attended. And, once again, alcohol seems to be a necessary part of a lifestyle everyone desires.
I don’t believe the situation is incurable, though. If parents, advertisers and idols took at least some initiative, it would definitely improve. That would, of course, mean that all those influence groups must realize what responsible alcohol consumption and promotion is and then teach it to the young as well.
‘The first reason is that those products became more affordable.’
I do agree that young people are drinking more alcohol than before. According to me the first reason is that those products became more affordable due to improvements in manufacturing technologies. Second reason is that; the family life has started to lose its importance especially in Europe. Young people face family problems in early ages, sometimes they are thrown out by the families and they are not offered a stable life. They are not guided by the parents so they are left unprotected against the dangers of life.The alcohol abuse starts with the psychological weaknesses of people.
A young person whose character evolution hasn’t been completed, may try to drink a lot of alcohol during the parties in order to show his maturity and strength. In a moment of weakness he allows himself to be persuaded by his with-it friends. A girl who comes relatively from a more conservative background may drink alcohol to behave more comfortable sexually. Or, another person may drink to forget his/her problem instead of tackling with them.
Some of those who has been exposed to the specific circumstances such as personal problems and peer pressures may become an addict. Another is for recreational purposes such as; people take it to be sociable, or to feel good, or to stop feeling bad.