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Culture
greatly influences youths' drinking patterns
Indo-Asian News
Service
London,
Sep 23 (IANS) Drunkenness among youth may be intentional or
unintended. Either way, it is greatly influenced by the country
they inhabit, rather than any other factor, says a new book.
Based
on a study sponsored by the International Centre for Alcohol
Policies (ICAP), the book also finds striking similarities
about drinking among young people in different parts of the
world.
For
instance, their introduction to alcohol was typically by parents
during a family celebration and its consumption was primarily
associated with enjoyment and socialising, whether at parties,
sporting events or in bars.
Countries
included in the study were Brazil, China, Italy, Nigeria,
Russia, South Africa, and Britain, according to an Eurekalert
report.
"Tragically,
too many young people purposefully pursue drunkenness as a
form of 'calculated hedonism' bounded by the structural and
cultural factors that affect young people in different countries,"
said Fiona Measham, co-editor of the book and criminologist
at Lancaster University.
"We
need to work to change this culture of extreme drinking,"
said Marjana Martinic, co-editor and vice president for public
health at ICAP. "We need to look at cultures in countries
like Italy and Spain where moderate drinking is an ordinary,
every-day part of family life."
Research
shows that rates of drunkenness and extreme drinking are significantly
lower in the Mediterranean countries than in Northern European
countries.
For
example, 49 percent of Swedish 17-year-olds report having
been drunk, compared with around 10 percent of Italian, French,
and Greek youth.
"Changing
the culture of extreme drinking requires looking beyond traditional
responses and getting all relevant stakeholders involved,"
concluded Martinic.
"This
means governments, the public health community, the beverage
alcohol industry, the criminal justice system, and civil society
must have a role in reducing extreme drinking among young
people."
The
book is called "Swimming with Crocodiles: The Culture
of Extreme Drinking".
Indo-Asian
News Service
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