Factors on Attitudes of Binge Drinking among Young Adults in the United Kingdom - Essay Example

The reasons for binge drinking are complex but are associated with stress, uncertainty, peer pressures, and low self-esteem experienced by young adults as they gradually assume adult responsibilities. Those young adults who indulge in binge drinking episodes may be new to drinking in groups, but they do have an ability to say no and hence are not addicted to alcohol. However, these young adults want to form bonds and get rid of stress, thinking that alcohol can help them with a quick fix, thanks to the unethical marketing campaigns of the 1980s in which United Kingdom and European brewers tried to retain their sagging markets by focusing on the younger generation. This dissertation attempts to identify the influencing factors associated with attitudes of binge drinking which can have an impact on marketing for educating the public and designing interventions for positively influencing young adults. Binge drinking has attracted much attention in recent years, not only in the United Kingdom, but also in many other countries that have a predominantly Anglo – Saxon culture (MCM Research, 2004, Pp. 2 – 5). Although several definitions of binge drinking have been presented in literature (Oei, 2004, Pp. 160), (MCM Research, 2004, Pp. 2 – 5) and (Alcohol Concern, 2003, Pp. 1), the phenomenon usually refers to the consuming of half the recommended weekly dose of alcohol in a single drinking session and this translates to consuming about five servings of alcoholic beverages in rapid succession (Norman, 1998, Pp. 168). The phenomenon of binge drinking usually translates into scenes involving young people of both sexes struggling along on public streets, young men and women being noisily sick on the streets at late hours, fights and brawls of the most barbarous character and swirling, moving masses of drunken people on public streets scaring those who are sober. Binge drinking creates problems for both the individual and the society. Adverse impact of binge drinking on individuals include traffic injuries and fatalities, cognitive damage, poor school or work performance, unintentional injuries, damage as a result of fights, brawls or sexual assault and homicides or suicides (Community Prevention Institute, 2004, “Problems Resulting from Binge Drinking”).