Binge Drinking Increasing Among Young Australians
Parents may easily assume that their children would never consume alcohol; yet many of these parents have teens that are not only consuming – they are binge drinking. According to a recent Bunbury Mail report, the National Drug Institute highlights the Southwest as a primary risk spot for binge drinking among teens and young adults.
Recent figures from national studies suggest that more than 50 percent of 18 to 24 year olds in this part of the country drink excessive amounts of alcohol, compared with 45.7 percent of individuals in this age range throughout the rest of Australia. This activity is often associated with a lack of self-respect, an element treatment programs are trying to incorporate into prevention.
Gary Butcher is the creator of the Choose Respect program, one that focuses on encouraging teens and young adults to treat themselves with respect. He highlights that individuals under the influence of alcohol cannot make informed decisions or choices and can put themselves at risk.
The program is designed to help young people to make choices that demonstrate respect for themselves, using the respect framework for all choices. Drinking responsibly is one of the choices the program encourages.
Butcher believes that binge drinking is associated with the teen’s view of their self-worth, which is usually quite low. As this problem is common among teens, the decisions they make can easily affect them negatively.
According to a Salvation Army study, 12 percent of Australians drink to get drunk, 7 percent drink to feel normal and 24 percent drink to be sociable. As binge drinking is becoming more common among young people, programs such as these are working hard to educate young people on how such activities hinder their ability to make good decisions and put them at risk for long-term consequences.
