Binge drinking an
“epidemic” among young
Australians.
By Gabrielle Mifsud and Cheryl Dwyer May 2010
Binge drinking
Drinking large amounts of alcohol all at once is called binge drinking. This
form of drinking to intoxication is dangerous and in extreme cases can lead
to alcohol poisoning or death.
http://dapcat.org/resources/prevention-and-treatment-definitions/
After another massive night,
Diogenes (412-323BC) wakes up
inside a ceramic urn in an alleyway.
News Year is traditionally a time when
many drink excessive amounts of alcohol.
This picture is from a 1912 postcard
mailed in the United States.
ALCOHOL IN AUSTRALIA – A HISTORY OF DRINKING
Rear Vision Radio National
The consumption of alcohol in Australia has followed a V-shaped curve.
19th century13-14 liters' pure
alcohol per head
per year.
High point 1980’s
onwards. 9-10 liters’
pure alcohol per year.
Low point 1930’s
2-3 liters’ per head largely due to the
depression
•Alcohol arrived in Australia
with the First Fleet
•Alcohol as recreational
drinking in the bush
•Temperance organizations
advocating temperate/ moderate use
of alcohol – then demanding its
prohibition.
This decade plateau of 8-9 liters per head per year
•WOWSER!
ALCOHOL IN AUSTRALIA – A HISTORY OF
DRINKING
Rear Vision Radio National
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Late 19th century – licensing provisions – opening hours of pubs,
cutting back on number of establishments.
During WW1 – 6 o’clock closing
Following end of WW1 - Growing prosperity, cultural changes,
particularly role of women, began to alter the way we drank.
1960’s – wine cask – wine becomes popular.
1960’s – inquiries into liquor licensing and liberalizing of the hours.
1980’s – some 24hr licenses.
Concern developed (post war) from a health point of view and
population approach, of the effects of alcohol
Taxes raised to dissuade people
Late 1980’s – national alcohol policy in Australia.
Present day – Federal government tax increase on alcopops. Pre-mixed
alcohol drinks
by 40% . Sales of spirits
by 20%
BINGE DRINKING AND ITS
EFFECTS
Binge drinking effects
binge drinking QLD.mp4
•the individual
•those around the drinker
•the wider community
Facts and Figures
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10 percent of teenagers binge
drink every week
50 percent of 16-year-olds drink
at harmful levels
35 percent of teenage males
consume between 11 and 30
drinks per session
one third of 18-24 year old
Australians consider themselves
to be binge drinkers
41 per cent of young people
surveyed have drunk so much
they’ve passed out on at least
one occasion. (Alcohol Education
Rehabilitation Foundation)
More teenagers die from the
effects of alcohol than any other
drug
What’s Happening?
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Social scientists have blamed anaemic regulation of
alcohol advertising, the fact that young people are
growing up in disconnected communities amidst
unprecedented social change, global economic
turmoil, high levels of family breakdown,
stratospheric levels of discretionary income, and the
‘tamagotchi’ parenting practices – zero supervision,
no limits or boundaries, an epidemic culture of ‘I-justwant-to-be-her-friend’ indulgence.
Michael Carr-Gregg
How Do We Deal With This?
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Almost 40% of under-age drinkers get their
supply of alcohol from their parents, and only
5% buy it themselves and over the weekend,
the Australian Drug Foundation have
suggested what could be part of multipronged vaccine for this teen binge drinking
pandemic.
Can we reduce consumption of alcohol?
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Drinking age? – In the US, where the drinking culture was
forever changed by Prohibition, the drinking age was raised to
21 in the 80’s
Will this eliminate the illegal culture around alcohol
consumption.
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Italy – drinking age of 16yrs. Consume less alcohol and have
less alcohol related problems with youth. Alcohol is about the
culture they are immersed in.
Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from
drinking alcohol
In 2009, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) published the Australian Guidelines to
Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol. The Guidelines are based on extensive research and are set
out below.
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Guideline 1 - Reducing the risk of alcohol-related harm over a lifetime
The lifetime risk of harm from drinking alcohol increases with the amount consumed.
For healthy men and women, drinking no more than two standard drinks on any
day reduces the lifetime risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury.
Guideline 2 - Reducing the risk of injury on a single occasion of drinking
On a single occasion of drinking, the risk of alcohol-related injury increases with the amount
consumed. For healthy men and women, drinking no more than four standard
drinks on a single occasion reduces the risk of alcohol-related injury arising from that
occasion.
Guideline 3 - Children and young people under 18 years of age
For children and young people under 18 years of age, not drinking alcohol is the safest
option. a) Children under 15 years of age are at the greatest risk of harm from drinking and
that for this age group, not drinking alcohol is especially important. b) For young people
aged 15−17 years, the safest option is to delay the initiation of drinking for as long as
possible. The reason for this is that alcohol can affect brain development and lead to
alcohol-related problems in later life.
Advertising:
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Alcohol companies spend about 80 per
cent of their advertising budget on
sport (By Western Sydney reporter George Roberts)
The results, published in the Drug and
Alcohol Review, show that the "loutish"
and "drunken" behaviour of sport stars
has little bearing on how much young
people drink .
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/22/2880491.htm
Making it attractive?
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"I think there very much is a culture of
drinking that's associated with sport," he said.
"I think that a large part of that culture
comes around because the alcohol industry
does team up with sport in terms of their
sponsorship, advertising and marketing.
researcher and the head of Biomedical and Health Science at the University of
Western Sydney, Professor Greg Kolt,.
Does Advertising have an impact?
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Professor Kolt has drawn a comparison
between alcohol advertising in sport and
tobacco advertising, which is now banned.
Some young people suggested that education
should begin at a very early age
and be ongoing throughout school to push
the message that binge drinking is not
something exciting, but that it is dangerous.
Raising awareness
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The Department of
Health and Ageing has
partnered with the
Inspire Foundation to
produce materials to
raise awareness and
promote discussion of
the impacts of binge
drinking amongst young
people.
Government Initiative
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Kevin Rudd has announced a $53 million program as an initial attempt
to put a cap on binge drinking among young Australians.(2008)
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The campaign would have three parts - codes of conduct, stronger
powers for authorities and a national advertising program. “
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A series of graphic television ads form the centrepiece of a $20-million
Government campaign to tackle teenage binge drinking.
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The campaign targets 15 to 17 year olds
“You'll see that this is actually very real life and that's the message that
we want to get through to young people who think that they're bullet
proof,"
Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/11/21/2426329.htm
Will these initiatives work?
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What is needed to begin changing the
culture of drinking?
Can it be changed?
How do we prepare the young people
to face these situations and make
positive choices?
As Catholic educators what is our role?
Useful resources:
Australian Government Department of Health
and Ageing
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Here you will find additional resources on the
National Binge Drinking Strategy
Alcohol and young people: a guide for parents
Secondary supply – state by state
Drink spiking
Teachers materials
Resources in other languages
Resources order form
References
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www.today.ninemsn.com/article.aspx?id=389689
Australian Government, Department of Health and Ageing,
www.alcohol.gov.au
www.drugactionweek.org.au
www.salvos.org.au
www.health.vic.gov.au/drugs/alcohol/youth/campaign.htm
http://www.youth.gov.au/ayf/documents/AYFwebsiteBingeDrinki
ngSummary.pdf.
http://dapcat.org/resources/prevention-and-treatmentdefinitions/
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/11/21/2426329.htm