British youth; alcoholic, anti-social and rude, but is this reputation fair and do they know the dangers they're subjecting themselves to?
Figures released recently by the Office of National Statistics show that drink-related deaths for 15-34 year olds have risen by 60 per cent since 1991; however, this does not include drunk people who die in road accidents. According to www.wrecked.co.uk: “Around half of all pedestrians aged 16-60 who are killed in road accidents have more booze in their blood stream than the legal drink-drive limit.”
Alcopops are very popular with young drinkers, but can the companies behind these drinks be held responsible? Helen Tungland, Public Relations Manager for Global Brands who manufacturer drinks such as Vodka Kick, said: “The drinking traditions of the UK and indeed 'binge drinking' are not new and are the result of deeper cultural issues within the British society.”
Professor Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: “Although it is difficult to quantify the exact effect of alcohol advertising on younger people, they are more likely to drink heavily advertised brands than older people. Part of the recent drop in sales of “alcopops” and extraordinary rise of cider with ice (Magners, Bulmers) must surely be a result of the major brand repositioning of cider and the major advertising campaigns.”
In 2005 more than half of children aged 11-15 reported having had an alcoholic drink. Brian Anderson, 26 years old from Northampton, had trouble with alcohol until he gave it up when he was 16. He explains how he started drinking: “ I was about 10 or 11. It was my family that allowed me to drink. Since they all drink heavily they see it as a good thing or 'the norm' so they didn't have a problem with me doing it.”
The Government launched a 'Know your limits' campaign in October last year, aiming to raise young people's awareness of the risks associated with binge-drinking. The campaign consisted of a series of television advertisements, in which young people took dangerous risks whilst drunk. One included a man climbing and then falling off some scaffolding. Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker told the Institute of Alcohol Studies last year: “The Government is dedicated to reduce alcohol related harm and will continue to work with the police to clamp down on irresponsible drinkers and retailers while strengthening our partnerships with the alcohol industry.”
Ruth Allonby, Chief executive at Mount Carmel in Streatham, a treatment centre for alcoholics, has noticed a drop in the age of clients she treats over her 16 year career. “When I first started here the clients were a lot older but now we've seen people quite young, we've seen sort of 18 year olds.” She explains why she thinks this age group have problems with drinking: “I think there's numerous reasons for it, I think it's sort of a cultural thing. You know, alcohol is a lot more readily available, it's socially acceptable. If you think, there's very few places that you can go where there isn't alcohol.” Professor Gilmore agrees with this theory, he said: “ the culture is so ingrained that it seems impossible for people to imagine “going out” and meeting other people without some sort of alcohol.”
Brian from Northampton speculates: “There are so many reasons why people start drinking it's hard to explain. Just some of them are: they think it's a cool thing, or they want to make themselves look like 'one of the lads' or it could just be they are drowning their sorrows.” So could Britain's alcohol problems be down to our liberal attitudes towards drinking?
Mount Carmel's Allonby comments: “The fact is if you look at the younger folk of today, I mean they, you know, they want to get off their face. They check the alcohol percent in booze. I don't remember when I was young staring at a drink and saying 'oh great it's such and such per cent you can get off your face on this'. It's the fact that, especially the young folk, just want to get to the point of oblivion.”
A report that made headlines earlier this year by the United Nations into the well-being of children in 21 wealthy countries said that the UK's children are exposed to more risks from alcohol, drugs and unsafe sex “by a considerable distance” than any of the other countries.
The world Health Organisation's European Charter on Alcohol, which has been signed by all Member States of the EU, including the UK, states: “All children and adolescents have the right to grow up in an environment protected from the negative consequences of alcohol consumption and, to the extent possible, from the promotion of alcoholic beverages.”
American studies have found that heavy advertising by the alcohol industry in the US had such considerable influence on teenagers that its removal would lower under age drinking and binge drinking in particular.” Professor Ian Gilmore explains that advertising's “ insidious effect is to associate the produce with desirable and enviable lifestyles. No industry would spend millions on this if they thought it didn’t work.”
Global Brand's Tungland says: “We advertise on football boards nationally but we really place an emphasis on interacting with consumers directly through our in-house promotional teams who educate consumers about our brands.”
The Wrecked website explains that heavy drinkers risk cancer of the mouth and throat and women risk having problems getting pregnant. Brian explains why he stopped drinking: “My body couldn't handle the amount of drink I was having, so it started rejecting it every time I had even a little bit and that put me off.”
Can you still have a good night out without alcohol? Brian thinks you can; “getting blind drunk for the sake of being 'one of the lads' or to make yourself look more masculine is just plain stupid in my opinion. Besides, at least I can remember what I did the night before and control my actions and bodily functions when I'm out.”
