“Young people use alcohol as a substance and no longer drink socially. Alcohol is consumed for the effect and the experience it gives, and not to enjoy a bottle of wine,” said guest speaker Dr Emanuele Scafato during a conference on binge drinking yesterday.
Dr Scafato, the director and senior researcher at the Istituto Superiore di Sanita in Rome, said that drinking trends are changing in Italy. Females in the 18 to 24 age bracket are shifting away from wine and consuming more beer and aperitifs. The same sector is drinking alcohol between meals and in larger quantities.
According to the figures he provided, in 1996, 21,000 people underwent treatment for alcohol abuse while the number increased to 51,000 in 2003.
People from all walks of life attended the conference, entitled Binge Drinking - A Modern Lifestyle? Emerging trends and culture, organised by the Family and Social Solidarity Ministry and Agenzija Sedqa. The conference analysed the social, physical, psychological, legal and ethical implications of such emerging trends.
The most important fact about binge drinking is that the person concerned takes a conscious decision to become drunk and lose control, said Sedqa Division coordinator of alcohol services Manual Mangani. Mr Mangani and clinical director of Sedqa George Grech presented a joint paper titled The True Face of Binging.
Binge drinking is defined as the consumption of five or more drinks over a short period of time, with the intention of getting drunk.
International definitions of binge drinking vary from country to country. For example, in Finland, drinking six bottles of beer is considered to binge drink, while in the UK binge drinking is defined as 10 units of alcohol for men and seven units of alcohol for women.
Although the quantities are different at face value, if one looks closely the units of alcohol are almost the same, Mr Mangani pointed out.
He mentioned a study carried out locally a few years ago, which established that over 23 per cent of fatal traffic accidents in Malta were alcohol related. “On average, there are five or six deaths a year related to drink driving,” said Mr Mangani.
There is a general consensus condemning underage drinking but most people act in a manner which opposes their words, said Assistant Commissioner Michael Cassar.
“We need to go to the roots of the problem,” he said. “It is not enough to condemn underage drinking when it is so deeply ingrained in our culture.
“Malta has a high number of alcoholics but few people really care about it until it hits their home,” he added. “For example for most people, the village feasts are nothing but an excuse to get drunk.”
Education is extremely important and must be extended to the owners of drinking establishments and their employees, making reference to outlets that sell alcohol to people under 16 years of age.
“Enforcement is very important especially where underage drinking is concerned, but it is not enough,” said Mr Cassar. “It has to be followed by an adequate punishment to prevent the person from committing the crime again.”
At the moment, the fine for a first conviction ranges between Lm50 and Lm500, and the fine for a second conviction ranges between Lm100 and Lm1,000.
“Binge drinking is a negative investment in the future,” said Mr Cassar. “Unless it is tackled, there will be more drink-driving, accidents, crime or work-related accidents.”
In his address, Dr Grech said that “four per cent of the deaths worldwide are due to alcohol and these can be prevented.”
A small number of those who binge drink might become alcoholics later on in life. “Some of the youths who binge drink simply do it for the buzz,” said Dr Grech.
Underage binge drinking usually starts at 13, increases during adolescence and peaks in adulthood after which it gradually decreases.
Dr Grech added that people who binge drink or who are heavy drinkers have more problems with their social relationships and with their family.
“More aggressive intervention is needed to address the trend of young people who are binge drinking - we need to catch them when they are young,” said Dr Grech.
The current programmes focus on people with chronic alcohol problems. Programmes directed towards youths need to be created and evaluated. Unfortunately binge drinking causes a number of health risks: death through vomit inhalation, head injuries, increased sexual activity leading to unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.
“More and more people are binge drinking and using drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy simultaneously. This is no longer a matter of one-off parties but is taking place regularly, in village feasts for example: either in the portable toilets or in the band club,” said Dr Grech.
Sedqa operations director Jean Claude Cardona called for stricter legislation on alcohol in Malta. “There is the need for a change in current legislation and a strong law enforcement structure to back it up,” he said.
A theme which emerged from the conference was the need of a more concerted effort between all the stakeholders involved: parents, educators, treatment and prevention agencies, health authorities along with an adequate law enforcement system.
“Education plays a major role in preventing young people from alcohol abuse,” said manager of Sedqa’s primary prevention services Paul Pace.
Foundation for Social Welfare Services CEO Joe Gerada pointed out that underage drinking is not an accidental phenomenon and that it is due to a number of factors inciting young people to do so.
“Parents have to be aware of this and measures against the exploitation of young people must be taken from all quarters,” he said. “I propose for the legal age for alcohol consumption to be raised to 18 and that those who are caught drinking and selling alcohol (to under-age people) have to be held responsible for their actions.”
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People binge drink ‘to get high’
by Juan Ameen
Jan 28/06
http://217.145.4.56/ind/news.asp?newsitemid=27407
Dr Scafato, the director and senior researcher at the Istituto Superiore di Sanita in Rome, said that drinking trends are changing in Italy. Females in the 18 to 24 age bracket are shifting away from wine and consuming more beer and aperitifs. The same sector is drinking alcohol between meals and in larger quantities.
According to the figures he provided, in 1996, 21,000 people underwent treatment for alcohol abuse while the number increased to 51,000 in 2003.
People from all walks of life attended the conference, entitled Binge Drinking - A Modern Lifestyle? Emerging trends and culture, organised by the Family and Social Solidarity Ministry and Agenzija Sedqa. The conference analysed the social, physical, psychological, legal and ethical implications of such emerging trends.
The most important fact about binge drinking is that the person concerned takes a conscious decision to become drunk and lose control, said Sedqa Division coordinator of alcohol services Manual Mangani. Mr Mangani and clinical director of Sedqa George Grech presented a joint paper titled The True Face of Binging.
Binge drinking is defined as the consumption of five or more drinks over a short period of time, with the intention of getting drunk.
International definitions of binge drinking vary from country to country. For example, in Finland, drinking six bottles of beer is considered to binge drink, while in the UK binge drinking is defined as 10 units of alcohol for men and seven units of alcohol for women.
Although the quantities are different at face value, if one looks closely the units of alcohol are almost the same, Mr Mangani pointed out.
He mentioned a study carried out locally a few years ago, which established that over 23 per cent of fatal traffic accidents in Malta were alcohol related. “On average, there are five or six deaths a year related to drink driving,” said Mr Mangani.
There is a general consensus condemning underage drinking but most people act in a manner which opposes their words, said Assistant Commissioner Michael Cassar.
“We need to go to the roots of the problem,” he said. “It is not enough to condemn underage drinking when it is so deeply ingrained in our culture.
“Malta has a high number of alcoholics but few people really care about it until it hits their home,” he added. “For example for most people, the village feasts are nothing but an excuse to get drunk.”
Education is extremely important and must be extended to the owners of drinking establishments and their employees, making reference to outlets that sell alcohol to people under 16 years of age.
“Enforcement is very important especially where underage drinking is concerned, but it is not enough,” said Mr Cassar. “It has to be followed by an adequate punishment to prevent the person from committing the crime again.”
At the moment, the fine for a first conviction ranges between Lm50 and Lm500, and the fine for a second conviction ranges between Lm100 and Lm1,000.
“Binge drinking is a negative investment in the future,” said Mr Cassar. “Unless it is tackled, there will be more drink-driving, accidents, crime or work-related accidents.”
In his address, Dr Grech said that “four per cent of the deaths worldwide are due to alcohol and these can be prevented.”
A small number of those who binge drink might become alcoholics later on in life. “Some of the youths who binge drink simply do it for the buzz,” said Dr Grech.
Underage binge drinking usually starts at 13, increases during adolescence and peaks in adulthood after which it gradually decreases.
Dr Grech added that people who binge drink or who are heavy drinkers have more problems with their social relationships and with their family.
“More aggressive intervention is needed to address the trend of young people who are binge drinking - we need to catch them when they are young,” said Dr Grech.
The current programmes focus on people with chronic alcohol problems. Programmes directed towards youths need to be created and evaluated. Unfortunately binge drinking causes a number of health risks: death through vomit inhalation, head injuries, increased sexual activity leading to unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.
“More and more people are binge drinking and using drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy simultaneously. This is no longer a matter of one-off parties but is taking place regularly, in village feasts for example: either in the portable toilets or in the band club,” said Dr Grech.
Sedqa operations director Jean Claude Cardona called for stricter legislation on alcohol in Malta. “There is the need for a change in current legislation and a strong law enforcement structure to back it up,” he said.
A theme which emerged from the conference was the need of a more concerted effort between all the stakeholders involved: parents, educators, treatment and prevention agencies, health authorities along with an adequate law enforcement system.
“Education plays a major role in preventing young people from alcohol abuse,” said manager of Sedqa’s primary prevention services Paul Pace.
Foundation for Social Welfare Services CEO Joe Gerada pointed out that underage drinking is not an accidental phenomenon and that it is due to a number of factors inciting young people to do so.
“Parents have to be aware of this and measures against the exploitation of young people must be taken from all quarters,” he said. “I propose for the legal age for alcohol consumption to be raised to 18 and that those who are caught drinking and selling alcohol (to under-age people) have to be held responsible for their actions.”
---------------------------------------------------
People binge drink ‘to get high’
by Juan Ameen
Jan 28/06
http://217.145.4.56/ind/news.asp?newsitemid=27407
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