Booze, Brits and Binge Drinking
Much reported as the British disease, binge drinking and the irresponsible over-consumption of alcohol has been in the news again lately with reports of young people being hurt and dying in alcohol related incidents. It was back in 2004 that Tony Blair told the alcoholic drinks industry that they had an important part to play in promoting responsible drinking and that they were a “strong force for cultural change”.
Alcoholic beverages are known to have been quaffed as far back as 10,000 BC, evidenced by the discovery of beer jugs from the Neolithic period. Wine is known to have been produced by the Egyptians as far back as 4,000 BC. So why have we still not managed to adopt a responsible approach to its consumption?
Different societies have considerably differing approaches to the way in which young people are introduced to alcohol and its effects. These differing approaches show different outcomes. For example, in a society where people routinely drink every day there may, not surprisingly, be a high rate of cirrhosis and other medical problems. But there may be few alcohol related violent incidents or accidents. In a society where people binge drink, as a demonstration of strength or as an escape from stress, there will be an opposite set of outcomes: more alcohol related accidents and more alcohol related acts of violence.
In many cultures young people are introduced to alcohol early in life. We only have to look across the channel to France where a practical book on child-raising from the 1920s states that when a child has reached the age of two they can be given a half-glass of water, lightly reddened with wine, or with some beer or cider added, at mealtimes. More recently it has been suggested that a more suitable age at which to introduce youngsters to alcohol is four years rather than two.
In France (and many other countries) young people are taught to drink moderately and responsibly. They will routinely see their parents and other adults consume a glass of red wine or a glass of white wine with a meal. This would be a daily occurrence, setting an example of moderation which is then followed by young people as they grow into adulthood.
This responsible approach to alcohol consumption contrasts sharply with the British way of teaching our young people about alcohol. Youngsters will, typically, be restrained from any amount of alcohol consumption until they are eighteen. They will have witnessed their parents, older siblings and other influential adults always looking forward to the next big night out when they will get ‘rat-arsed’, become belligerent and argumentative, spend the following day nursing a hangover from hell and then talk about what a great night they had, even though they can’t remember much about it.
This lousy example-setting, and the culture of over-consumption, leads many young teenagers to obtain exceedingly strong varieties of alcoholic beverages and guzzle to excess. Getting so pissed that they can’t remember what they did is held up as a sign of strength and a badge of honour. Those who do not join in are considered lightweights. Fights breakout, accidents happen, girls get pregnant, laws get broken and lives get ruined.
Has there been a change for the better since Tony Blair’s appeal to the alcoholic drinks industry back in 2004? I don’t think so. Getting pissed out of your head and somehow dealing with the events that can occur when in that state has become something of a right-of-passage in British society. The people who are responsible for the influences upon youngsters, parents, celebrities, sports people etc., still promote the over-consumption of alcohol as something that is good, recreational and fun. Until this situation changes we will still see stories in our press of young people hurt in accidents or acts of violence caused by the irresponsible over-consumption of alcohol.
Merry Christmas!
chris
jerry
frankie
Random Guy
Lee
karen
Ashser
Amy Hemsley
#1. December 12th, 2007, at 3:45 AM.
waaahhhh waahhhh