Alcohol Consumption as Major Cause of Illness and Injury among Young People - Essay Example

Illness and injury is simply a matter of bad luck, bad judgement or bad genetics in relation to Alcohol Use amongst Young People Introduction The increasing consumption of alcohol among young people in a mainstream of communities has drawn the attention to social health beliefs and behaviors. Alcohol consumption regularly begins as a social phenomenon. Alcohol consumption is a prominent part of present social functions and several peer interactions (Weitz, 2010). In most of their discussions, alcohol consumers say that alcohol consumption is the best way to avoid health risks such as accidents and illnesses. They believe that illness and injury is simply a matter of bad luck, bad genetics, and bad judgments. These social norms motivate young people into continued alcohol consumption (World Health Organization, 2011). The main purpose of this paper is to critique the notion that illness and injury results from bad luck, bad judgment or bad genetics, by highlighting the complex range of factors that influence alcohol use among young people. Sociological concepts about health beliefs allied with alcohol use in young people. Reviews of several research work done on the subject of alcohol consumption among young people reveal that is because of a number of influential factors. A culture has been developed that whenever one faces an accident, then this is because of a bad luck or maybe the victim had poor judgement to when the accident happened. Societal norms and behavior makes people believe that whenever one’s genetic status is poor then this can be a cause of the his or her injury. Young people growing in these societies gradually get absorbed and end up having the same believes (Bingham, 2006). When in their drinking places, young people discuss these believes influencing one another to believe that alcohol cannot be a cause of injuries faced in situations such as road accidents. These motivation achieved from their societal belief encourage them in continuing to take their alcoholic beverages. In addition, social norms for most communities regard bad genetics among individuals as a symbol of bad luck. In this sense, society members prefer working along those people who are genetically well developed. Furthermore, most communities believe that when one takes a strong meal especially one that contains meat, and then take alcohol, this makes him genetically strong and healthy. Therefore, drunkards believe that since injuries are caused by bad genetics, then alcohol is the perfect means to avoid injuries. Society members believe that alcohol uplift one’s judgement especially when it comes to scenarios that require deep thought. People believe that for one to think widely and deeply, then alcohol is the solution (Pokarna, 1994). Those who work in technical fields that require a lot of reasoning mostly prefer taking some alcohol to satisfy their belief that they will think more precisely. In other words, societies consider alcohol as a helping hand to better judgments. Again, since these societies believe that injuries are due to bad judgment then alcohol is the only way to help them through this predicament. All these believes become gradually introduced to young people making them more and more interested in taking alcoholic drinks (Marshall, Theodosiou, Bhat, Ghosh & Ark. 2009). A number of illnesses affect human beings in their whole life. Most communities through their respective social norms and beliefs consider bad luck and bad genetics as the most essential reason to illnesses. Societies believe that when one’s genetic build up is poor, then that specific person is highly prone to becoming ill. In addition, these societies believe that when a bad luck comes to someone, then it is at this moment that one becomes affected by a certain disease or illness. As said earlier in this article, most communities believe that when alcohol is taken with good meals such as meat soup, then one becomes genetically stable. Hence, most communities prefer consumption of alcohol as the solution to becoming healthy and avoid any illness. Communities believe that the demons that cause bad luck are always fearful of an alcoholic person. Therefore, when one takes an alcoholic drink, he is avoiding bad luck and thereby avoiding illness. Young people growing in these societies slowly get absorbed into these social norms and finally end up fully involved in alcohol consumption (In Saunders & In Rey. 2011). Significant social, political, and economic influencing alcohol use among young people Young Australian people face a number of challenges that end up influencing them to becoming day-to-day alcohol consumers. In brief, these factors are divided into three major groups namely political, social and economical factors (Smith, 2009). All these factors happen in the basis as highlighted earlier that alcohol consumption acts as a preventive mechanism from injury and illness. However, when members of the society come to comprehend the side effects of alcohol and work together to aid young people, then this health issue will be a matter of the past (Sidorchuk, Hemmingsson, Romelsjo & Allebeck. 2012). Several social factors influence young Australian people to consumption of alcoholic beverages. The social norms and behavior of a young person’s community is always the chief reason. This influential factor starts from the young person’s socio-environmental surrounding. When a young person hears his elders saying that bad demons that cause bad luck are usually afraid of a drunkard person, then the young person becomes psychologically affected. In the social believes of the communities, injury and illness is caused by bad luck (Naidoo & Wills. 2000). Therefore, to avoid bad luck the young person concomitantly becomes interested in taking an alcoholic beverage. However, in real sense, this social belief wrongly drives these young people and the community at large. Issues of bad demons and bad luck are completely unrelated. Those who came with these norms had their own agendas because when one takes alcohol, he becomes mentally confused. You do not expect a mentally confused fellow to be in any position of avoiding an injury (Gemert, Dietze, Gold, Davis, Stoové, Vally & Hellard. 2011). Most young people usually influence one another on consumption of alcohol. Peer influence among young Australian people lead to many young people becoming addicts in taking alcoholic beverages (Pokarna, 1994). Societies have a belief that injury and illness is because of bad judgment and bad genetic status. Another belief is that alcohol uplift one’s reasoning and manhood. With this belief, young people end up with the idea that alcohol can always improve their judgment level. Since in the social norms, illness and injury is due to bad judgement, this belief motivates a young person to taking alcohol (Pokarna, 1994). The idea is then addressed to a fellow and it revolves among a number of young people. As a result most young people end up influenced to taking alcohol. However, this is a sham belief because studies reveal that an alcoholic mind is always poor in reasoning and when this is the case; then it is far from understanding that alcohol can aid one’s judgement. Instead, from this sense it is clear that alcohol leads to injuries and illnesses (Pokarna, 1994). Alcoholic advertisements in Australia are a key influential factor to alcohol consumption. Most adverts address alcohol consumption as a means of staying strong. For example, ads for Tusker beverages describe it as refreshing one’s roots and promote your manhood (Pennock, 2007). This means that the beverage makes a consumer become genetically strong. These adverts are always available in all media stations and even in music festivals where the majorities are young people. Since in one’s social norm bad genetic leads to injury and illness, the ad motivate young people to taking the drink to become strong mentally. However, as stated earlier alcohol does not promote one’s judgment instead it negatively affect one’s judgment. It is clear that these ads are just to promote a company’s sales (Pennock, 2007). Finally, in Australia, another key influential factor to underage drinking is the socioeconomic status of most of the societies. Young people who come from good socio economic areas are more prone to their counter parts. However, these young people directly influence one another through their beliefs. In other words, all these three factors are both directly interrelated. Young people who come from the good socioeconomic families always have the chance of taking good meals (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2010). With the social belief that good meal plus alcohol uplift one’s judgment means these young people become motivated to take alcoholic drinks. In addition, Australian alcohol retail shops sell various types of alcoholic drinks at a cheap price. In other words, in Australia, alcoholic beverages are always readily available and this makes it easy for young people to access the beverages. Since these young people have been psychologically affected by their social beliefs, they end up daily consumers of alcohol (Glanz, Rimer & Viswanath. 2008). Theoretical perspectives to the study of the social context of health promotion Alcohol consumption particularly in young people makes them extremely vulnerable to diseases and injuries. The more a young person takes alcoholic drinks, the more he increases his chances of getting several diseases such as cardiovascular impairment. Cardiovascular illness is always prone to young alcohol consumers who take alcohol (Smith, 2009). In addition, day-to-day alcohol consumption in young people can easily lead great mental problems. It usually begins with one starting to behave in an extremely immoral manner. He becomes fond of using abusive words whenever addressing and issue to his friends and even in front of those above his age. If not intervened earlier, it usually leads to neuropsychological disorder. Neuropsychological disorder is a crucial disease; it affects one’s whole way of life and one ends up completely irresponsible in the society (Smith, 2009). These diseases could easily be avoided but due to lack of responsible alcohol and great peer pressure among the youths, a young person eventually ends up being a victim of these diseases. It is a fact that, when one takes alcohol, then he considers everything to be very simple. In other words, one becomes extremely ignorant. In collaboration with the ignorance characteristic, he becomes exceedingly anxious whenever addressing an emotional issue (Bingham, 2006). All these problems affect young people merely because they lacked significant advisory services in regards to alcohol consumption. Furthermore, poor social beliefs influence them into becoming alcohol consumers and eventually undergo great loses in their lives. (Browning & Thomas. 2005). Predicaments such as self-poisoning, drowning, and road traffic accidents are merely caused by poor mental reasoning that comes from extreme alcohol consumption. If alcoholic adverts clearly address this issue in public, then young people would be in a good position to avoiding these diseases. Thus, it is clear that both illness and injury are not because of bad luck or bad genetic but instead, it is because of peer influence, poor social beliefs and lack of proper alcoholic adverts (Smith, 2009). Conclusion It is vital acknowledge that alcohol consumption is the major cause of illness and injury among young people. Clearly, when one is under alcohol influence, he or loses his mental stability meaning that it is easier for him to cause an accident in this state than when he is sober. Furthermore, as stated in the context, alcohol use leads impairs a young person’s health being more vulnerable to diseases. Thus, it is imperative that young are notified of the great losses alcohol imposes on one’s life (Weitz, 2010). References Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2010). Drinking patterns in Australia, 2001-2007. Cat. no. PHE 133. Canberra: AIHW. Retrieved from http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=6442474884 Bingham, J. (2006). Alcohol. Chicago, Ill: Heinemann Library. Browning, C. J., & Thomas, S. A. (2005). Behavioural change: An evidence-based handbook for social and public health. Edinburgh [etc.: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone. Gemert, C., Dietze, P., Gold, J., Davis, R., Stoové, M., Vally, H., & Hellard, M. (2011). The Australian national binge drinking campaign: campaign recognition among young people at a music festival who report risky drinking. BMC Public Health 2011, 11:482  Glanz, K., Rimer, B. K., & Viswanath, K. (2008). Health behavior and health education: Theory, research, and practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. In Saunders, J. 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