Alcohol Abuse Among Teenagers - Research Proposal Example

Download file to see previous pages... A quick recap of analytical tools available for study is also given. From the empirical data available on the past studies, the enquiry proposes to establish the effectiveness of Focus Group as the best option to study the present crisis of alcohol abuse among the Scottish teens.
of alcohol in pubs, clubs, supermarkets, shops, and other illegal sources. It was a large-scale, longitudinal study of some 4,300 young people then aged around 15, and attending schools in and around the City of Edinburgh. The study was conducted between August 2001 and February 2002.The findings from the study give a murky and alarming propensity among the teens for alcohol and gross callousness towards statutory regulations regarding the sale of alcohol by the vendors.
Just over 51% of young people admitted to drinking alcohol when they were around 13 years old, and this figure rose to almost 84% by the time they reached 15. Almost half (49%) drank at least monthly or more often, with half of these (a quarter of the entire group)
drinking at least once a week. Most participants had also felt the adverse effects of drinking alcohol. 49% could not recall some of the things they had done on at least one occasion, and 46% reported
The extent of the problem of alcohol use by this group has created a genuine concern from all sections of Scottish public. The plethora of literature, giving vent to this concern in the media and the vast number of research papers being churned out by the academic community do underline the gravity of the situation.

Long Term Implications of Alcohol Abuse Among Teenagers
The long-term effects of this menace on Scottish society can be understood by delving deep into the medical implications of this problem. A study, widely considered, the most extensive analysis of the link between age and the onset of drinking disorders was conducted in USA by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The results of this study were published in1998. The findings were based on interviews conducted by the United States Census Bureau in 1992 with more than 42,000 adults. The participants were asked when they began drinking regularly, excluding their first experimental trying of alcohol. The results of the study established the close link between alcoholism and the age of drinking. 40 percent of the participants who began drinking before age 15 developed alcoholism later in life. About 25 percent of respondents who started drinking at age 17 and about 10 percent who began drinking at 21
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became alcoholics. (Alcoholism Risk Higher for Young Drinkers: Microsoft Encarta Reference Library 2004).

Research Options
Indeed, there is a heightened awareness in all sections of Scottish society about the alcohol abuse in the young, through the laudable work of media, academia and Government. The ...Download file to see next pagesRead More