Binge drinkers influenced by the culture they live in

New research into the drinking habits of young people has found that a lot depends on the culture they live in.

A study sponsored by the International Center for Alcohol Policies (ICAP) on young people in seven countries, has found that views on alcohol and drunkenness were influenced more by culture than by factors such as age and sex.

The ICAP study into the new concept of extreme binge drinking, offers some insight into the complex global drinking patterns among young people and shows that whether young people get drunk as a purposeful behaviour or as an unintended consequence, depends on what country they live in.

The research also found striking similarities about drinking among young people in different parts of the world.

Most youngsters it seems were introduced to alcohol by parents during a family celebration and alcohol consumption was primarily associated with enjoyment and socializing.

Drinking mostly took place at gatherings such as parties, sporting events and in public venues such as bars, clubs and a "successful drinking experience involved socializing and avoiding problems".

However many were aware of drinking as a means of self-medication.

Data from the focus groups conducted in Brazil, China, Italy, Nigeria, Russia, South Africa, and United Kingdom, are included in a new book, "Swimming with Crocodiles: The Culture of Extreme Drinking."

Dr. Fiona Measham, a co-editor of the book who is a criminologist at Lancaster University, says tragically, too many young people purposefully pursue drunkenness as a form of 'calculated hedonism' bounded by the structural and cultural factors that affect young people in different countries.

Dr. Marjana Martinic, co-editor and vice president for public health at ICAP, says work needs to be done to change the culture of extreme drinking by examining cultures in countries such as Italy and Spain, where moderate drinking is an ordinary, every-day part of family life.

Research on young people's drinking shows that rates of drunkenness and extreme drinking are significantly lower in the Mediterranean countries than in Northern European countries - 49% of Swedish 17-year-olds report having been drunk, compared with around 10% of Italian, French, and Greek youth.

Dr. Martinic says changing the culture of extreme drinking requires looking beyond traditional responses and getting all relevant stakeholders involved, including governments, the public health community, the beverage alcohol industry, the criminal justice system, and she says civil society must have a role in reducing extreme drinking among young people.

Dr. Martinic says there are a wide range of interventions to help reduce extreme drinking among young people, particularly interventions at three key settings: school, work, and community.