Problem of Binge Drinking of Adolescents in Australia - Case Study Example

Outline Introduction Overview of Binge drinking among the adolescence Binge drinking in light of post-modernity theory and post-colonial theory How Binge drinking is represented in the media (using post-modernity and post-colonial theories) Conclusion References Introduction There has been an increase in alcohol consumption among the youth in the recent past. The consequences of over-indulgence in alcohol especially at a young age usually results in tainted future expectations. Binge drinking at a younger age is a risky behaviour since it escalates as an individual grows to adulthood, the addiction created at a younger age manifests in the adulthood life. Some of the consequences of binge drinking includes; increased immorality, careless driving, poor memory and physical injuries among other negative consequences. The media has highlighted this concern over the last period because of the sensitivity of the issue and the need to reduce the vice in order to avoid its future consequences in the country. The media in Australia has increased its attention especially towards binge drinking in the country. This is so because of the increasing consequences of the act to the overall national development. It is therefore imperative for all stakeholders to get involved in the process of curbing binge drinking among adolescence in order to reduce its future consequences in the country. There are two social perspectives that play a pivotal role in defining the genesis of binge drinking in Australia; these social factors are post-modernity and post-colonial theories. Post modernity will try to link theories that emerge after modernization, this actually means that to some extent there has been a social departure from the effects of modernity and the way in which people operated as a result of modernization. With respect to post-colonial perspective, this theory tries to explain both social and cultural link between the society and its colonial masters. In essence, this explains the current culture of the society with respect to some aspect of its colonial master and how the society’s social and cultural orientation has been influenced. Overview of Binge drinking among the adolescence The media has highlighted binge drinking among the youth because of the statistical analysis that reveals that 86 per cent of students in Australia have indulged in binge drinking at an early age of 14, this figure rises to about 96 per cent as the age progresses to 17 (Jones et al., 2009). There are Australian guidelines that provide the limits of alcohol consumption but unfortunately 22 per cent of adolescence aged 14 exceeds the limit provided by the guideline. This percentage develops and exceeds this level as the age progresses to 17; in essence the percentage doubles to 44 per cent as the age progresses. According to Bonomo et al., (2004) adolescents are usually introduced to drinking by their parents at their homes. Most weekly drinkers at adolescence attribute their source of alcohol drinking to their parents. The parent’s attitudes and their modelling of alcohol consumption is usually the genesis of increased adolescents drinking in Australia. The post-colonial theory and post modernity theory also explains the reasons of increased binge drinking among the youth in light of the content being disseminated by the media. Binge drinking in light of post-modernity theory and post-colonial theory According to Essau (2008) binge drinking is excessive drinking of alcohol beyond the set limits which then translated to increased health concerns especially among the youth. Some of the modernity and post modernity theories coupled with post-colonial perspectives have largely contributed to the increased drinking among the Australian population at a younger age. Modernity has contributed to increased communication and improved infrastructure. Increased advertising of alcohol therefore reaches a wider population and especially the younger group which was not the initial target of the advertisement. This has been the case because of the norms and social interactions that has departed from the traditional norms of respect and responsibility. The cultural decay that has been fostered by both the modernism and some negative post modern issues has largely contributed to the increased over-indulgence of drinking at a tender age (Hamilton, 2004). With increased modernism, there is less interactions between the parents and their children, this has therefore increased irresponsible drinking among the youth. As reported in the Age newspaper “Child binge drinking study released” (2010), children at their early adolescence at the age of 14 have been reported to have indulged in binge drinking. This is clearly one of the negative perspectives propagated by the post colonial era and the increased modernism that distanced the respectful relationships between children and their parents. The news in the paper reveals how the post-colonial era has had tremendous effects that have fostered cultural and social disintegration in the Australian population. In essence, the post modernity issues that should therefore be implemented in order to curb this increasing negative habit includes enactment of rules and laws that inhibit alcohol drinking from an early age in every state and city of Australia. More so, there should be increased sensitization of the need to practise responsible parenting in order to prevent the effects evident by the post-colonial era from influencing the Australian cultural development. How Binge drinking is represented in the media In the article “Child binge drinking study released” (2010) shows that children who get alcohol supply from their parents are about six times likely to indulge in binge drinking as compared to the others according to the recent studies. Australian Drug Foundation disseminated some news from Deakin University revealing questionnaires from about 4000 children of ages 10 to 14 concerning underage drinking. John Rogerson who is an Australian Drug Foundation chief executive stated that it is only in Tasmania and Queensland that had instituted laws that penalised any act of alcohol supply to persons under the age of 18 especially without their parents’ permission. In the same statement, Mr. Rogerson revealed that areas without legislation like South Australia, Northern Territory, Victoria, Western Australia, and the ACT were at a greater risk of alcohol related consequences. Some other key findings of the statistics also showed that children who obtained alcohol from other people apart from their parents are also six times likely to indulge in binge drinking. More so, family conflict being reported among the youth increases the chances of the youth obtaining alcohol from other persons apart from their parents in such situation. The other situation is also as a result of peer pressure that results from other adolescents who indulge in the habit. It is acknowledged that the likelihood of sexual assault, injuries and even death as a result of alcohol drinking is increased in youths who binge drink. According to Hayes and Smart et al., (2004) adolescence drinking results in a higher likelihood of adulthood drinking and even life time heavy drinking. Australian drug foundation has revealed that the only way that binge drinking among the youth is going to be controlled is by setting legislations that puts parents responsible for their children’s drinking habits (Snyder et al, 2006). Medical researchers have also advised that the brain damage that alcohol can cause in developing children is usually irreparable and therefore the need to foster delayed drinking if necessary at all. In essence, as stated by Ellickson et al., (2005), it is necessary to create laws and regulations that inhibit adolescence drinking especially considering the medical consequences that are inevitable in a developing brain. With consideration of post-modernity theories, it is evident that the effects of modernity that tends to increase self freedom and abuse of substance have more negative implications to the modern society. The increase of modernisation and the departure from the traditional values can be attributed to the increased teenage drinking and general irresponsible parenting process (Jones et al., 2008). It is imperative to integrate the traditional virtues that encouraged respect and proper parental guidance in order to inhibit the spread of irresponsible binge drinking among the youth. Australia is usually less considered in the post colonial perspective because of its less significant struggle for independence from the colonial masters unlike other countries especially the third world countries. In this sense, Australia is one of the most loyal countries to its colonial masters in history. This therefore implies that the culture and the social perspective of Australians are largely influenced by its colonial masters. The cultural perspective and the social behaviours of Australians are therefore largely influenced by the colonial masters. It is consequently necessary to put laws that guide or provide guidelines for drinking all over Australia and not in specific states as it is currently. This will as a result reduce the increased concerns of binge drinking among the youth which develops even to the adulthood life. According to Ellickson (2005) studies have revealed that there are influences which are directly and indirectly generated by peers and parents. There is a difference between the male and female drinking habits. With the males, there is a strong relationship between their drinking habits and their father’s and friends drinking habits. This relationship thus reveals how much a particular adolescent will drink. On the other hand, females tend to be influenced by their best friend drinking habits and their normative standards; in this case, females were influenced by their perception or what they believed more as compared to their adolescent male counterparts. Strikingly, the fathers drinking habits influenced more the daughters drinking habits as compared to the mother drinking habits. This study reveals that there is a post-colonial effect on both sexes with respect to the pre-colonial period where traditional values were against alcohol consumption by adolescents. Another aspect that has greatly influenced the drinking habits of adolescent’s especially female adolescents is the feminism perception which has been propagated in the post-colonial era all over the world. Young females have developed a self-pride ego and believe that they have the right to indulge in drinking without considering the social effect of their drinking habits (Ellickson, 2005). As evident in this discussion, it is necessary for the government to enact laws and policies that will mitigate irresponsible actions especially among the youth. As evident by the statement of John Rogerson in the Age newspaper “Child binge drinking study released” (2010), it is necessary to adopt new policies in other Australians states in order to mitigate the vice. The lack of responsibility by the parents and other older adults will be mitigated by these policies since they will have to adhere to them. The other important solution to this increased adolescents drinking is encouraging community sensitization through teachings propagated by the media, such teachings should focus on the effects of adolescents drinking. With the implementation of these policies, there is a higher likelihood that alcohol indulgence will be reduced among the youth. Conclusion It has been discussed in this analysis that there is an increasing concern over binge drinking among the teenagers in Australia. In essence, statistics and the current news have revealed that the adolescence drinking age is as early as 14 and increases as the age progresses to 17. This increase of alcohol consumptions can be attributed to both post-modernism and post-colonial theoretical perspective. Statistics have revealed that adolescences are six times more likely to indulge in binge drinking if their parents introduce them to the habit. Moreover, the same statistics shows that there was a likelihood of about six times of the same adolescents to indulge in binge drinking if other people apart from their parents introduced them to the habit. Peer pressure is another aspect that generated more alcohol consumption at teenage if the adolescent had more friends who indulge in binge drinking. The rate of alcohol indulgence varies with gender during adolescences, as shown by the study; the parent’s alcohol influenced their children in different ways. Male adolescents tend to tend to associate their drinking habits to their peers and fathers drinking behaviours. On the other hand female adolescents associate their drinking habits to the perceived drinking rates of their friends. This study therefore reveals a departure from the traditional habits of drinking which discouraged adolescent drinking especially because of their parent’s drinking habits. It is therefore necessary for the government to enact policies and new regulations that will work to prevent underage drinking. Such policies will therefore work together in ensuring that the effects of adolescents drinking that have negative effects which includes impairment of developing brain are mitigated or completely eliminated. References Bonomo, Y, Bowes, G & Coffey C, et al. (2004).Teenage drinking and the onset of alcohol dependence: A cohort study over seven years. Addiction, 99 (2), 1520-1528 Child binge drinking study released. (2010, November 7). The Age P. A2. Ellickson, P.L., Collins, R.L., Hambarsoomians, K., & McCaffrey, D.F. (2005). Does alcohol advertising promote adolescent drinking? Results from a longitudinal assessment. Addiction, 100(2), 235-246. Essau, C. (2008). Adolescent addiction: epidemiology, assessment and treatment. Melbourne: Academic Press. Hamilton, M., King, T., & Ritter, A. (2004). Drug use in Australia. Preventing harm. 2nd ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. Hayes, L., Smart, D., et al. (2004). Parenting influences on adolescent alcohol use. Research Report No. 10. Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies, Commonwealth of Australia. Jones, S., Gregory, P., & Munro, G. (2009). Adolescence and young adult perception of, and response to, alcohol advertisements. Journal of substance. 14 (2), 23-34. Jones S., Hall, D., & Munro, G. (2008). How effective is the revised regulatory code for alcohol advertising in Australia? Drug and Alcohol, 21 (1), 29-38. Snyder, L.B., Milici, FF., Slater, M., Sun, H., & Strizhakova, Y. (2006). Effects of Alcohol Advertising Exposure on Drinking Among Youth. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 160(1), 18-24. Read More