Irresponsible drinking - is it getting worse - Essay Example

Irresponsible drinking – is it getting worse? Irresponsible drinking – is it getting worse? Irresponsible drinking has been defined as the taking five or more alcoholic drinks for men, and consuming four or more of the same drinks for women. Irresponsible drinking usually occurs when the main purpose of drinking is to get drunk. It is usually done in large groups, in which the members indulge in uncontrollable drinking sessions. People are concerned about irresponsible drinking because it is growing steadily.

In fact, statistics indicate that in the UK, for example, only one adult out of every ten is a non-drinker. People in the country have been found to spend more than £30 billion annually on alcohol. More than one fifth of women and one third of men consume more than the daily recommended alcohol levels (OCR 2011, p. 2).People are also more concerned about irresponsible drinking because young adults and children are beginning to drink at a much younger age than ever before. Statistics further indicate that out of every secondary school student, one drinks alcohol more than once a week.

Even the government is concerned that the drinking rates, especially among minors, have reached worrying levels. Parents, friends, and licensed premises have been largely blamed for contributing to irresponsible drinking among children (OCR 2011, p. 2).One proposal that has been made to deal with irresponsible drinking entails appointing auditors to examine how the alcohol industry abides by the codes of practice that check on responsible retailing. Change of laws has also been proposed to force alcohol suppliers into line.

Increasing taxes on alcohol prices so as to discourage irresponsible drinking has also been proposed. There have been campaigns about the dangers of abusing alcohol, aimed at discouraging irresponsible drinking (OCR 2011, p. 2).ReferenceOCR 2011, Irresponsible drinking – is it getting worse? Viewed 18 April 2012, http://www.ocr.org.uk/download/pp_10_jan/ocr_49593_pp_10_jan_gcse_2431_02_rb.pdf