Earlier this week, the Foundation for Social Welfare Services (FSWS) published the third European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs.
The report places Malta in fifth place when it comes to alcohol consumption among 16-year-olds. It is revealed that 94 per cent of Maltese students drank alcohol at least once, with 32 per cent of them saying they did so in discotheques. This means that, over a five-year period, the number of 16-year-olds who consumed alcohol in discotheques nearly doubled from the 17.9 per cent registered in 1999.
The percentage of students who said that they get drunk rose from 45 per cent in 1999 to 48 per cent.
On the other hand, Malta has one of the lowest percentages of students who take illicit drugs, although an increase was registered here as well – up from eight per cent in 1999 to 11 per cent in 2003. Smoking is on the decline, dropping from 57 per cent to 52 per cent.
The perception in Malta is that we have a drug problem but, considering the above results, it seems that we are worse off where alcohol is concerned.
It must be remembered that alcohol consumption by youths under the age of 16 is not prohibited at law. It is only buying alcohol at that age that is illegal. But then, one asks, if alcohol is consumed in discotheques, bars and nightclubs, hadn’t it been bought on the premises? It is hard to imagine that these youths take it with them from home.
Family and Social Solidarity Minister Dolores Cristina is right to say that legislation should be introduced to cover the consumption of alcohol by youngsters, apart from its purchase.
But the real problem is not the drawing up of laws – it’s their enforcement that needs to be seen to.
It is useless to have laws prohibiting the sale of alcohol to persons under the age of 16 when this law is being blatantly broken every night and almost everywhere. Likewise, it would be useless to make alcohol consumption at this age illegal if such a measure is not enforced.
Admittedly, it is impossible for police officers engaged in maintaining law and order in entertainment areas to monitor this situation too. Even if it were possible to do so in places frequented by youths such as Paceville, there are still many other bars all over Malta from where these youngsters could buy alcohol and consume it. We cannot have a policeman in every establishment.
So the matter must be tackled elsewhere, and this is where educators come in. Educators include both parents and teachers. As suggested by FSWS chief executive officer Joe Gerada, “parents must teach their children that alcohol is a beverage that should be consumed by adults responsibly and only at certain times”.
Apart from imparting this precious advice, parents must also see that the alcohol they keep in the home is not easily accessible to their children. They should immediately take action if they notice that the content of a bottle of whisky in the cabinet is evaporating. The fact that 21 per cent of the youths admitted that they had had their last alcoholic drink at home should make parents monitor the situation better.
Consumption of alcohol at a young age, and especially if it later becomes a habit, can lead to several other troubles, including financial and health problems.
Just like a small progress was made when it comes to smoking, largely because of ongoing campaigns over the past years, it is believed that consumption of alcohol by youths – and adults too – could also be cut down if these youngsters are given the right education.