Marie Benoît believes that we cannot stop youngsters from drinking but we must teach them responsible and moderate drinking
The question is not whether teenagers will drink. They always have and they always will. The question is how teenagers will drink, whether they will do it excessively and recklessly or in a manner that minimizes the risk to themselves and others.
Those who abuse alcohol cause problems, draw attention to themselves and are highly visible. The vast majority of drinkers who drink moderately are not noteworthy.
Generally there is opposition to drinking by youngsters under the age of 16. Several parents have told me that they wish the law could be changed and that the limit would be put up to 18 years instead of 16, as it is at present. But how realistic is it to expect youngsters not to drink until the age of 18 when at every turn they are assailed by advertising, parties, offers, Happy Hours? So many spend their leisure hours moving from bar to bar in Paceville.
If anything, putting up the age to 18 years would probably contribute to more alcohol abuse and the harm it causes by pushing drinking underground. When teenagers drink on the sly in unsupervised settings, they are more likely to drink excessively, more likely to drive while intoxicated and less likely to seek help when they need it.
So prohibiting alcohol until they are 18 is not the answer. It is well known that the introduction of prohibition in 1920 in the United States which had been viewed by tens of millions of Americans as the solution to the nation’s poverty, crime, violence, and other ills, at first was eagerly embraced. Unfortunately, Prohibition not only failed in its promises but created serious and disturbing social problems throughout society.
Prohibition doesn’t work, and it teaches young people hypocrisy and evasion. Those who teach know that our students are drinking long before they are 16, but no teacher is in a position to stop them. So, the alternative is to teach moderation rather than prohibition.
Drinking and driving is another problem which we constantly face on our roads, though not much is made out of it. There is overwhelming evidence that alcohol adversely affects driving related skills. Yet, if we look at it objectively, we will find that alcohol-related traffic crashes are not necessarily caused by alcohol. Many are but no one knows the exact proportion.
Drunk drivers don’t become model drivers even when completely sober but responsibility for accidents increases with intoxication. So we should direct our efforts to preventing drinking and driving rather than trying to prohibit drinking.
We need to teach young people not to drink and drive, providing examples of the results, when people ignore that maxim. The enforcement campaign is a must. Policemen, members of the judiciary and employers must take drink driving seriously and punishments should be stiff, and not just for the young.
It is the increasing number of young people who do not know how to drink in moderation which gives us plenty of cause for concern. Not only driving, but dating, walking and even horsing around can become dangerous activities when young people are drunk. Where young people do not become the victims of sexual or other assaults, excessive consumption of alcohol is often a contributing factor.
Youngers drink at bars; they drink behind their parents’ back with bottles of vodka purchased with the help of their older friends or by simply walking into the supermarket and shops which sell drinks, and paying for it without anyone asking for an ID card. The law stipulated that only those above 16 should be allowed in bars and sold drinks. But is this being enforced? Is it?
Young people can only become responsible by being properly taught, given responsibility, and then held accountable for their actions. We don’t tell young people to ‘just say no’ to driving, fail to teach them to drive, and then on their 18th birthday, give them drivers licenses and turn them loose on the road. But this is the logic we follow for beverage alcohol.
One parent who has been very active in a group he formed to try and stop alcohol abuse amongst youngsters told me: “Society comes up with all these practices – ‘drink until you drop’, ‘open bars’, Happy Hour’ all these people who organize parties and run drinking places see is the money they are making. There are places where youngsters are allowed to drink from 7pm until 11pm. It is only at 11pm that they are asked to produce their identity card, but by that time they would have passed on their money to the barkeeper in exchange for alcohol. Anything goes. Although legislation does not change matters overnight it acts as a deterrent. More people are now wearing seatbelts and helmets thanks to legislation and fines; there is much less smoking in public places thanks to legislation and fines. There should be harsher legislation and stiffer fines regarding the abuse of alcohol and the young.”
Bing drinking, that is, five or more drinks in a row on one occasion, has become the norm for many youngsters. There is pressure from their peer group to drink alcohol. Many of them drink to satisfy urges of curiosity, rebellion, risk taking and wanting to fit in. In addition many teenagers drink because it makes them “feel good” and helps them forget their problems and deal with stress. Some get drunk because they have nothing better to do. They do not cultivate any interests apart from going to boozy parties and crawling from one bar to the next.
Drinking affects teens in many areas of their lives, and its implications are reflected in many ongoing societal problems.
Excessive alcohol consumption causes a number of deaths which could easily be avoided. Teenagers ride in cars with drivers who have consumed alcohol. Teenage alcohol consumption is also associated with homicides, suicides and drowning. Researches have associated drinking with early sexual activity and, as a result, with unintended teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. When teenagers mix sex with alcohol, those who average five or more drinks daily are nearly three times less likely to use condoms, thus placing them at great risk for sexually transmitted diseases. Researches say that a clear relationship exists between alcohol use and achievement. Students with low grades drink three times as much as those who earn A’s.
Drinking alcohol before the brain has finished developing (around the age of 21) causes damage to the areas of the brain responsible for learning and memory. The first thing alcohol typically affects is judgment. If you can’t make a good decision you can’t protect yourself.
Parents have a very important part to play. We often don’t set clear rules regarding alcohol. Children need to be disciplined routinely when they break the rules. It’s tough to sort through all the mixed messages that society promotes about alcohol. Your child deserves a clear, uncompromising message from you.
We have to teach our children that actions have consequences at any age. Every choice we make matters and that each of our lives is made up of decisions. Parents have to set reasonable but firm rules that they enforce. Discipline, curfews, and structure are non-negotiable but they should be understood. Children too, have to learn about true friendship. When peer pressure hits, they have to learn to stand up to their friends, they need to learn that they can say “no”, and keep their friends.
Another important lesson that experts teach us is that young people rank parents and family members among the top reasons for not using alcohol; in fact they rank them above friends and peer pressure.
Drinking is not some kind of disease and we’ve come a long way when Vikings used the skulls of the enemies as drinking vessels. Alcohol has existed longer than all human memory. It has outlived generations, nations, epochs and ages. It is a part of us. For although alcohol will always be the master of some, for most of us it will continue to be the servant.
While alcohol has always been misused by a minority of drinkers, it has clearly proved to be beneficial to most. Not to be underestimated is the important role alcohol has served in enhancing the enjoyment and quality of life. It can serve as a social lubricant, provide entertainment, facilitate relaxation and enhance the flavours of food. Youngsters should be made to appreciate this and shown how to drink in moderation and with responsibility.