Binge Drinking as a Social Problem in Britain - Research Paper Example

Analysis From the research carried out, it was clear indeed binge drinking is a wide spread problem in Britain. According an article by Robertson in the Guardian newspaper, most teenagers in Britain think that there is nothing wrong with binge drinking. This was evident in the fact that they frequented bars and clubs to take part in the happy hours when drinks could be sold cheaply. If not at these venues, most of the teenagers agreed that they would have no option but to take alcohol in their homes and this was not their preferred mode of dinking. These teenagers also knew the consequences of excessive drinking, with some admitting that they were likely to suffer ill health in future as a result of this habit. The drinking culture is quite prevalent given that there are parties on a regular basis where people go and consume large amounts of alcohol. Despite the hangovers that are as a result of this, most people did not mind this and soon went back to binge drinking with their pals. Most of the people started drinking at a young age because it was considered to be a sign of maturity and because it was done openly by their parents at meal times. There is also easy access to alcohol and people can buy it without any fear of compromise. Most of the drinkers also drink alcohol in pints and not in small amounts or units as recommended. Initially, drinking was mostly associated with males, but over time, more women have taken up the habit. It is common to see an image of a woman staggering while dressed in heels. According to Grubb, a Guardian blogger, this is a wrong depiction of the problem as drinking is spread evenly across both the genders and any measure to reduce drinking should include both the sexes. People who drink more are likely to lose control of their behavior and will most likely do things they would not do if they were sober. Binge drinking has resulted to an increase in the rate of violence in Britain. This seriously affected the security situation and the authorities have had to come up with ways by which they can tackle this problem.According to the Guardian newspaper articles, women who drank excessively were likely to develop complications if they are pregnant. They also have a higher chance of giving birth to underweight children and this reduced the chances of survival for these infants. The authorities have had to come up with official guidelines that are meant to restrict drinking for pregnant women. Social media has been at the forefront in promoting drinking among the young people with drinking contests receiving thousands of likes. This age group also has a perception that binge drinking is cool and they cannot have a good time unless they engage in binge drinking. All across the United Kingdom, there has been an increase in binge drinking and over the last decade the number of hospital admissions due to drinking related incidences has doubled. Given the group mentality of the youth most of them do not consider the health implications of this habit and are only concerned of having a good time presently, hangovers withstanding.Binge drinking has fatal effects and this has widely been documented in the media. Hotels are not strict when admitting young people to their establishments and most do not bother to follow up with the activities that these people are doing in the hotel rooms. The result is that over the years there has been an increase in the number of young people who have died as a result of falling over hotel balconies. Most of these accidents occur when the victims are drunk and are not wary of their surroundings.Campbell carried out interviews which involved mothers who were involved in binge drinking and they confirmed the reports that the habit led to poor parenthood. Over 20% of them confirmed that in the last one month they might have been too drunk to take proper care of their children. Most had tried to break away from this habit but found it difficult due to pressure from their friends. Discussion What was common in most of these instances is that most people started drinking due to the influence of their friends. When they attended social gatherings, majority of the people would be drinking large amounts of alcohol. As a result, the few that were not drinking could feel left out and eventually also start drinking. The end result is that everybody would be drinking. It was evident that people in social gatherings were likely to drink much more than people who were alone as drinking made such social gatherings more ‘fun’ than when alcohol was missing. Apparently it made people open up and they could relate more easily with each other. According to the law, teenagers cannot buy alcohol from liquor stores. However, what was clear was that most could easily get access to fake identification documents and this gave them the ability to buy alcohol. They were therefore able to be part of the drinking culture in Britain. Binge drinking cannot be said to be only due to excessive drinking among young people. In most households, parents openly drink in front of their children most particularly during meal times and when watching television. This makes the children believe that there is nothing wrong with this habit since their parents are doing it openly. There therefore begin experimenting with their friends and with time they get addicted to the habit and cannot change. They therefore contribute to the statistics of binge drinking and in future will indirectly influence their children to develop the same habits. Due to increasing feminism, women have become more liberal and are also engaging in this habit for pleasure. Binge drinking is therefore not only a preserve for men, but also women who have fully embraced the habit. Most young people who engage in binge drinking argue that this is their time to have fun since they do not have any pending responsibilities like older members of the society. They therefore do not mind getting drunk and having to deal with the after effects such as hangovers. Other countries have stringent laws when it comes to alcohol consumption with some such as the Arab countries prohibiting public consumption of alcohol. However, in United Kingdom the sentences for drunkenness and alcohol related crimes has been low and people still go ahead to engage in binge drinking. There have been several campaigns to warn people about the dangers of binge drinking, but none seems to have the effect required on the general population as sale of alcoholic products continue to increase. Works cited Campbell, Denis . "Binge drinking increases chances of underweight babies." The Guardian [UK] 13 Sept. 2013: n. pag. www.theguardian.com. Web. 7 May 2014. Robertson, Poppy. "What teenagers think about binge drinking." The Guardian [UK] 24 Apr. 2014: n. pag. Grubb, Sophie. "Students: let,s quit the binge drinking." The Guardian [UK] 28 Feb. 2014: n. pag. www.theguardian.com. Web. 6 May 2014. Read More