Year in, year out, it is always the same story. And in spite of the efforts made by the authorities to improve the situation, it does not get any better. If anything, it is getting worse.

The big parties that are organised to celebrate the start of a new year have become another occasion for people to binge-drink. Similar parties are held during the year but, especially on this night, there seems to be a concentration of such events that only serve to indicate that the situation is rather alarming.

Many young people who attend these parties each year say that they were ripped off, that the parties were disorganised, that there were too many people and that, ultimately, they did not enjoy themselves as much as they would have liked to, not to mention the terrible hangover the day after.

Many drink more alcohol than they can handle, and there is an explanation for this. In recent years it has become the custom, perhaps even a tradition, to have open bars at these big events. People just pay an entrance fee for the place where the party is being held, and then they can eat and drink as much as they like.

This has only one advantage. The pre-paid system allows for the provision of drinks to move at a faster pace because no money has to change hands on the night. Some may see this as a disadvantage too, because it means that one can actually drink more if long queues are avoided.

But this is where the problems start.

Young people who spend Lm20 to Lm30 for the night are being indirectly pushed to get back their money’s worth, with the result that they start drinking heavily, much more than they do on normal occasions. Many also complain that the food on offer is very limited, and that the organisers do not cater for the number of people who have bought tickets.

Drinking heavily is asking for trouble; doing so on an almost empty stomach is even worse. When people then try to get their money’s worth in drinks, the situation becomes alarming.

According to a report on TVM, the casualty department at St Luke’s Hospital was very busy treating patients with symptoms of drunkenness on the night which ushered in the New Year. There were many others who did not go to hospital but simply staggered home.

Many parents also complained that their children were so “sick” that they could not wake up in the morning. They were suffering from more than a hangover.

Some people might ask for a total ban on open bar parties because this would limit the problem drastically. But this will never happen.

Others will demand tighter controls at the parties, such as a limited number of tickets and possibly the handing out of a certain number of drink vouchers with each ticket purchased to be exchanged at the open bars.

But there is more to it than this. It is the culture that needs to be changed, and unfortunately the appeals made before each festive period are not having the desired effect, as was admitted by the Health Promotion Department in an interview with TVM.

Today’s young people seem to get most of their enjoyment from drinking, and recent surveys on alcohol consumption among youths are a clear indication of this.

It is therefore apparent that educators – parents, teachers and the agencies specifically set up to raise awareness on alcohol and other drugs – are still far from reaching their goal, despite of their efforts.

Education plays an important role in all this. Campaigns a few weeks before the festive period are not enough. Educational campaigns on the dangers of binge drinking must be carried out all year round, especially in schools, but also in the media.