Maria Byrne
What can those who are responsible for young people do to counteract some of the negative aspects of the Irish relationship with alcohol?
The World Health Organisation’s global status report on alcohol and health 2014 found that 39% of all Irish people aged 15 years old and over had engaged in binge drinking or “heavy episodic drinking” in the past 30 days.
This put Ireland just behind Austria at the top of the 194 countries that were studied. In 2013, the average Irish person aged 15+ drank 10.73 litres of pure alcohol. It’s a cause for concern that the highest proportion of binge drinkers is in the 18-29 age group.
Young people are also less likely to stick to the weekly low-risk limit for alcohol consumption. We don’t have to look around too much to observe that problems with overindulgence in alcohol is not confined to young adults, but is an issue with older children and teenagers. Alcohol Action Ireland, the national charity for alcohol-related issues, reported that nine per cent of girls who were surveyed and 13% of the boys said that the first time they got drunk was when they were 13 years old or younger.
Alarming statistics
In light of these rather alarming statistics, parents are faced with multiple challenges about their own particular approach to a substance that is so intertwined with our culture. There are very few celebrations, big occasions and even sad departures and funerals that aren’t marked with some form of alcohol intake. In fact, it’s seen as a bit miserly to organise an event without including a bit of the ‘hard stuff’.
Many young couples have been presented with astronomical bills following the free drink that is customary at most Irish weddings. We ‘wet the baby’s head’, ‘drown our sorrows’ and have ‘one for the road’ which has led to many an unfortunate incident, sometimes ending in terrible tragedy.
What can those who are responsible for young people do to counteract some of the negative aspects of the Irish relationship with alcohol? Are parents just wasting their time in their attempts to turn the tide and promote healthy, balanced and responsible attitudes to drinking?
It’s an ongoing discussion in parental circles about how exactly alcohol should be introduced to children or whether it should be introduced. Do you lock the drinks cabinet and throw away the key, or is it better to give children a few sips from an early age in an attempt to demystify alcohol and encourage moderation? Neither of these approaches seems to be recommended. Alcohol is readily available, and locking it away at home or pretending that it doesn’t exist won’t help teenagers when they confront it when out and about with friends and acquaintances.
Many people are sure that controlled drinking at home, in the safe environment of the family, is the way to go. They look to countries like France where it’s believed that a common sense viewpoint has prevailed.
It’s become an accepted fact that the French are beacons of good judgment in regard to alcohol and its consumption. While Irish children sip their fizzy orange on their first trip to France, the French children are seen as very sophisticated with their watered-down red wine.
The reality is somewhat different and alcoholism is a major health problem in France with short-term hospital admissions for binge drinking up by a dramatic 80%.
It’s not surprising that the ‘rite-of-passage’ drink in the safety of one’s own home is not as safe as parents may like to imagine.
A recent study commissioned by the EU demonstrated that giving even small amounts of alcohol to children can lead to long-term health problems, including a much greater risk of alcohol dependency in those who had their first drink before the age of 18.
Binge drinking
Binge drinking by young people can have a damaging effect on their mental health, bringing on mood disorders and slowing brain development. Dr Daniel Hermens from the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Research Institute said that, between the ages of 16 and 25, brains are undergoing a lot of change and alcohol can impair that growth.
To send a message to children about moderation in drinking, parents need to model the behaviour they want their children to engage in.
Serving drink to a 14- or 15-year-old may give the idea that underage drinking is alright. However, watching parents limit their alcohol intake or switching to water or orange juice gives a better example of how to behave.
Studies show that teenagers are strongly influenced by the values and standards of their parents. Talking to children (even young children) about alcohol is important, with references to the pressures they might face, the health aspects of over consumption and how to deal with life’s transitions and their increasing independence in a safe and confident way.
Seeking alternatives to events where alcohol is a central part of the socialising is another area where parents can be pro-active. Being loving but firm means setting realistic boundaries. Children need freedom but they can’t be expected to face the challenges and pressures on their own.
Parents who are open, accepting and loving, but who also take responsibility for their role in guiding their children through our alcohol-orientated society, will have the best chance of success. Keeping lines of communication open is all-important, but so is knowing when it’s time to be the unpopular parent who sometimes has to say no in the best interests of the not-quite-mature child.
