32 | BINGE DRINKING | SCHOOL LIFE
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arlier this year, a report by the World Health Organisation found that young people in the UK are
among the heaviest binge drinkers in the world. The report states that one in five UK teenagers binge drink once a week. In England alone, 36 young people are admited into A&E every day for alcohol-related injuries. These figures rise considerably during the school holidays. However, after ten years of visiting
independent schools across the UK and talking to hundreds of pupils of all ages, I am surprised the figures aren’t higher. For many young people, binge
drinking is a rite of passage. It provides instant friends, confidence, acceptance, fun and escapism. Or so it feels at the time. For some, though, it can also mean an unplanned pregnancy, STDs, a black eye, a broken arm or alcohol poisoning. For a few, it’s worse. But what’s most frightening is how common these experiences are among many of the pupils I talk to. Binge drinking is a complex,
emotive and uncomfortable subject. It polarises opinion. Age, background, preconceptions and religious beliefs all determine how we feel about binge drinking. Social and psychological factors play a huge part in influencing young people’s drinking paterns. To really engage young people in this complex issue, we need to have some uncomfortable conversations – and we all need to listen to each other. The explosion of social media presents
another new challenge for schools and parents. This unpredictable medium has taken on a life of its own with litle or no effective regulatory control. Young people create and build their identities online. They celebrate, like and unlike each other’s lifestyles 24/7. Young people are left vulnerable and exposed to the short- and long-term impact of sharing their nights of excess with a photo, a tweet, a post or a film. All of which are liked, shared and discussed at the touch of a buton – by anyone. The power and influence of social
media was thrown into sharp focus earlier this year with the birth of the global online drinking game NekNominate, where binge drinking was championed by young people around the world. Sadly, five young people in the UK who took part in the challenge died. The controversy and tragedy which followed saw politicians calling for schools to play a bigger role in helping their pupils to tackle peer pressure.
BINGE DRINKING: THE CHALLENGES
With new government figures reporting a fall in alcohol
consumption among 11-15 year olds, CharlieB offers some advice around the very different issue of binge drinking
As reported by the University of Stirling
in their pioneering report published last year, social networking websites make it easier for young people to engage with alcohol brands through peer-peer communication, such as joining fan clubs and forwarding and sharing viral videos. The report also found that the greater the exposure of young people to online advertising of alcohol, the more likely they are to binge drink. However, social media is just one factor
that has contributed to cultural change in young peoples’ atitudes towards binge
drinking. Other factors include increased affordability, changing drinking habits, ‘designer’ drinks aimed at the youth market, targeted marketing campaigns selling a lifestyle, and 24-hour media. Tackling and challenging young
people’s atitudes and behaviour towards binge drinking can only be addressed through engagement, education and talking openly about responsible drinking. The good news is that most
independent schools recognise that they can’t address and fix this issue on
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