Cheap alcohol widely available any time, any place has fuelled our booze culture and binge drinking "booze britain"causing many health concerns for people of all ages. Children as young as 12 regularly drink alcohol whilst more and more youngsters regularly binge drink. It is known that children who begin drinking before the age of 15 years are twice as likely to develop alcohol dependency in adulthood. The acceptance of our booze culture and binge drinking means many parents turn a blind eye to their children’s alcohol intake, some even encouraging their children to drink.
A 40 year old woman from Berkshire who is currently trying to give up alcohol speaks of how she first began drinking “My parents encouraged myself and brother to drink alcohol when we were as young as 13 years old. They were keen to normalize drinking so we would not be over excited about alcohol and drink too much with our friends. I remember Mum almost forcing me to have a sip of her drink or insisting we had a glass of wine of our own. I would drink as I thought it would make her happy even though I didn’t like the taste but in fact it became a habit to have a drink. Later on I found I needed a drink to relax and have confidence at parties, as it was so normal I never measured how much I drank or even gave it a second thought that I was actually addicted to alcohol. I was living in my own booze culture and binge drinking every weekend through my teens and twenties, I was the party girl always up for a laugh and a drink! It wasn’t until I was a parent and in my thirties drinking everyday that I began to realize what effect my parents attitude had had on my life. I would never ever offer a drink to my daughter it seems incomprehensible that my parents were so encouraging for me to drink.”
Alco Pops and Binge Drinking in Booze Britain
The introduction of Alco-pops astounded many people when they became available making alcohol palatable for children. Many teenagers now think they contain so little alcohol that there is nothing wrong with drinking them. Fourteen year old Charlotte from Berkshire said “I like the taste as they are sweet; I only drink Alco-pops as I don’t like the taste of real alcohol”
The responsibility lies with the government to educate children on the potential health risks of drinking alcohol whilst pressure needs to be put on the drinks industry or new regulations need to be put in place. Cheap prices of alcohol in supermarkets have been blamed for the increase in alcohol consumption at home and daily alcohol consumption.
People need to be given clear facts about how damaging long term drinking and binge drinking can be so that individuals can take control of their decisions. Adults need to act responsibly and give children healthy role models to look up to. Many parents tell their kids not to drink but then get drunk in front of them or are drinking regularly. Gone are the days when having a drink was for special occasions. The message that binge drinking is not acceptable needs to be got across and a little dignity restored in to our culture.
