Good one dun learn, learn all the bad ones har....naughty boys and girls..
Binge drinking an "emerging issue in S'pore", says HPB
By Alicia Wong and Sufian Suderman
SINGAPORE: He got drunk at a friend’s house and ended up taking off all his clothes in the bathroom. “The next thing I knew,” said student Mervyn Lee, 19, “I woke up in my friend’s bed wearing a fresh pair of shorts.”
Tales like this may raise a titter, but the dangers of excessive drinking are all too real. That is why the Health Promotion Board (HPB) will embark on its first nationwide campaign against binge drinking next year, aimed at 18- to 25-year-olds.
Binge drinking — consuming five drinks or more for males, or four drinks or more for females, within two hours — is an “emerging issue in Singapore”, said HPB in a tender document posted on the GeBIZ website.
The 2006 Student Health Survey showed that one in two students aged 12 to 17 has tried alcohol, even though it is illegal for them to buy it. “This is a worrying trend,” said HPB, as those who start drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to become alcohol-dependent than those who start at 21.
The survey also showed youth: aged 18 to 29 — especially females — were more likely to binge drink than older age groups.
Dr Arthur Lee, senior consultant and acting chief of the Addiction Medicine Department at the Institute of Mental Health, said that besides ignorance, peer pressure and the availability and close proximity of pubs, bars and nightclubs contribute to bingeing.
Ms Sheena Jebal, the chief executive ofNuLife Care and Counselling, said eight in 10 of the youth-at-risk under her care drink and get drunk frequently.
“I’m seeing more of my youth, especially those involved in gangs, go out in a big group, buy one bottle of drink and gulp it down at one go,” she said. “There’s no disparity between the educated, non-educated, rich or needy. They are doing the same thing.”
Clubs, parents part of the problem
One problem: Clubs closing later these days. “The longer (people) are out clubbing, the more they drink,” said Ms Jebal.
Before hitting the nightspots, young clubbers may buy and chug alcohol from a convenience store first as it is cheaper, to get high. Many turn to cheap chinese wine, which has 40 to 50 per cent alcohol content, compared to four per cent for beer.
Then there are the drinking promotions from various pubs, which tempt drinkers to hop from bar to bar, not keeping tabs on how much they drink, noted psychologist Daniel Koh.
He handled a case of an 18-year-old girl who got addicted to binge drinking: She got into fights and casual relationships, ending up in hospital to have her stomach pumped before she sought help.
Parents unwittingly aid in such dangerous behaviour, warned Ms Jebal, who has conducted research on this area. Family members tend to trivialise the issue as a “one-time thing”, so the youth keep doing it. Some mothers even give their children more allowance to support the habit, out of fear their children would end up stealing or prostituting themselves, she said.
Then there is peer acceptance of binge drinking as a social norm. Mr Yusof Ismail, chief executive of the Ain Society, said: “When there are so many people doing this, the guilt mechanism doesn’t work.” He added that the rebellious factor in binge-drinking was, in itself, addictive to the young.
Peer to peer, youths can be influence for bad and good
Youths TODAY spoke to said they were aware of the dangers of excessive drinking, but were not overly concerned. Student Mervyn said: “It’s okay to binge once in a while so long as you know how to control yourself.”
He cut back on bingeing thrice a week to once because of the cost: He used to blow S$100 a week on alcohol.
Student Sheryl Koh, 19, drinks once a month. At times, it ends up with her lying on the road or holding a stranger’s hand.
“I once saw my friend puke on a total stranger after she downed 10 shots in 15 minutes,” she said.
Her reason for drinking less? “Once you get drunk so fast, people have to take care of you. It is more fun to get a little high at a slower rate.”
Intoxicated is intoxicated, however — psychologist Mr Koh warned, as one’s reasoning power “is overridden”. Saying the HPB’s campaign would be useful, he suggested using teens in the promotions to give the young a positive peer influence.
The HPB intends to create awareness through student-led projects and educational material targeted at tertiary students, among other things.
Already, the industry has made the first moves against binge-drinking. Clubs such as the popular Zouk are members of the Bars Against Binge Drinking Association, which was set up in 2006.
And last year, Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore spearheaded a youth-led moderate drinking campaign, Get Your Sexy Back. This year, it became a full-fledged programme driven by youth volunteers.
The team learnt young adults respond better to messages communicated through their peers, said a spokesman.
- TODAY
Binge drinking an "emerging issue in S'pore", says HPB
By Alicia Wong and Sufian Suderman
SINGAPORE: He got drunk at a friend’s house and ended up taking off all his clothes in the bathroom. “The next thing I knew,” said student Mervyn Lee, 19, “I woke up in my friend’s bed wearing a fresh pair of shorts.”
Tales like this may raise a titter, but the dangers of excessive drinking are all too real. That is why the Health Promotion Board (HPB) will embark on its first nationwide campaign against binge drinking next year, aimed at 18- to 25-year-olds.
Binge drinking — consuming five drinks or more for males, or four drinks or more for females, within two hours — is an “emerging issue in Singapore”, said HPB in a tender document posted on the GeBIZ website.
The 2006 Student Health Survey showed that one in two students aged 12 to 17 has tried alcohol, even though it is illegal for them to buy it. “This is a worrying trend,” said HPB, as those who start drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to become alcohol-dependent than those who start at 21.
The survey also showed youth: aged 18 to 29 — especially females — were more likely to binge drink than older age groups.
Dr Arthur Lee, senior consultant and acting chief of the Addiction Medicine Department at the Institute of Mental Health, said that besides ignorance, peer pressure and the availability and close proximity of pubs, bars and nightclubs contribute to bingeing.
Ms Sheena Jebal, the chief executive ofNuLife Care and Counselling, said eight in 10 of the youth-at-risk under her care drink and get drunk frequently.
“I’m seeing more of my youth, especially those involved in gangs, go out in a big group, buy one bottle of drink and gulp it down at one go,” she said. “There’s no disparity between the educated, non-educated, rich or needy. They are doing the same thing.”
Clubs, parents part of the problem
One problem: Clubs closing later these days. “The longer (people) are out clubbing, the more they drink,” said Ms Jebal.
Before hitting the nightspots, young clubbers may buy and chug alcohol from a convenience store first as it is cheaper, to get high. Many turn to cheap chinese wine, which has 40 to 50 per cent alcohol content, compared to four per cent for beer.
Then there are the drinking promotions from various pubs, which tempt drinkers to hop from bar to bar, not keeping tabs on how much they drink, noted psychologist Daniel Koh.
He handled a case of an 18-year-old girl who got addicted to binge drinking: She got into fights and casual relationships, ending up in hospital to have her stomach pumped before she sought help.
Parents unwittingly aid in such dangerous behaviour, warned Ms Jebal, who has conducted research on this area. Family members tend to trivialise the issue as a “one-time thing”, so the youth keep doing it. Some mothers even give their children more allowance to support the habit, out of fear their children would end up stealing or prostituting themselves, she said.
Then there is peer acceptance of binge drinking as a social norm. Mr Yusof Ismail, chief executive of the Ain Society, said: “When there are so many people doing this, the guilt mechanism doesn’t work.” He added that the rebellious factor in binge-drinking was, in itself, addictive to the young.
Peer to peer, youths can be influence for bad and good
Youths TODAY spoke to said they were aware of the dangers of excessive drinking, but were not overly concerned. Student Mervyn said: “It’s okay to binge once in a while so long as you know how to control yourself.”
He cut back on bingeing thrice a week to once because of the cost: He used to blow S$100 a week on alcohol.
Student Sheryl Koh, 19, drinks once a month. At times, it ends up with her lying on the road or holding a stranger’s hand.
“I once saw my friend puke on a total stranger after she downed 10 shots in 15 minutes,” she said.
Her reason for drinking less? “Once you get drunk so fast, people have to take care of you. It is more fun to get a little high at a slower rate.”
Intoxicated is intoxicated, however — psychologist Mr Koh warned, as one’s reasoning power “is overridden”. Saying the HPB’s campaign would be useful, he suggested using teens in the promotions to give the young a positive peer influence.
The HPB intends to create awareness through student-led projects and educational material targeted at tertiary students, among other things.
Already, the industry has made the first moves against binge-drinking. Clubs such as the popular Zouk are members of the Bars Against Binge Drinking Association, which was set up in 2006.
And last year, Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore spearheaded a youth-led moderate drinking campaign, Get Your Sexy Back. This year, it became a full-fledged programme driven by youth volunteers.
The team learnt young adults respond better to messages communicated through their peers, said a spokesman.
- TODAY
