By Joyce Pavish
Popular drinking Facebook sites are a potent symbol of New Zealand’s problem with teenage binge-drinkers, a problem experts say is not being taken seriously.
The Facebook page ‘I’m not an alcoholic. I’m a New Zealander’, boasts over 43,000 ‘likes’ and is filled with teenagers posting comments about their drunken antics over the weekend.
Brad Sherratt says,“drinking, it’s what we were [sic] bred for”, while Mych Dowson replied, “finally a sensible comment on our drinking habits”.
Year 13 Student Piuela Takalua believes teens are drinking for popularity.
“It’s all about status. Most kids at my school get totally smashed so they can brag about how drunk they were at school on Monday,” she says.
“When you think about it, it all comes down to the attitude of the drinker. If they think that it’s a rite of passage, binging, then so be it. The majority just don’t seem to grasp the full extent of the situations they can get themselves into.”
Alcohol and Drug Association chief executive Paul Rout thinks not enough is being done to combat the rising number of teens taking up the drink.
“As a society the government is not recognizing the full extent of the problem we have. There should be stronger measures in place,” he says.
Statistics from the Alcohol Advisory Council NZ (ALAC) reveal some startling statistics.
Nearly half (46.1 percent) of current secondary school drinkers reported consuming five or more drinks in a usual drinking session, while one in five (18 percent) young drinkers reported they planned to get drunk on the last occasion they drank alcohol.
“It’s very concerning the high use of alcohol in teenagers because of the health and well-being risks to the community that comes from binge drinking,” says Mr Rout.
“When will they ever learn? When will enough be enough?”
If you know anyone whose drinking has become a problem, you can get help for them through the website www.alcoholdrughelp.org.nz.
Joyce Pavish is working with UNICEF as part of the 3Youth project, an upcoming section of the 3 News website focusing on social issues and written by young people.