American drinking culture is socially centered. Drinking to unwind after a long work week, to casually hang out with friends, to celebrate an engagement or marriage—it is a central aspect of the American lifestyle. It is incredibly common and is usually encouraged. We have no problem talking about college students binging or friends toasting at a New Year’s party. This behavior is expected, so the culture surrounding it tends to be positive.
Yet, an aspect of drinking seems to fly under the radar. That being alcoholism and problematic drinking habits. It is taboo. It is embarrassing to admit a drinking problem, both for the individual and those impacted by it, but this kind of culture only propagates the inability to talk about alcohol abuse.
Alcohol is situational. We drink at certain events or times, as mentioned before, but curiously, the type of alcohol also tends to be situation-dependent. For example, champagne is associated with celebrations and toasts, while cheap beers are paired with college parties or more laid back drinking.
The presence of alcohol also spans outside legal drinking age. High schoolers and underage college students imbibe frequently even though it is illegal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found in a 2017 study that approximately 30% of high schoolers drink once a month, and 14% admitted to binge drinking.
Many European countries have lowered drinking ages. At 16 years old, beer and wine may be consumed, and at 18 years old, all other liquors are legal to drink. Gradually bringing young adults into drinking culture is a way to teach them how to responsibly drink. It allows them to respect it and learn about it, especially when the focus isn’t getting drunk as it tends to be with young adults in the U.S. They may be less inclined to binge drink, or to consume in general.
While this is a problem, it isn’t inappropriate to talk about. Not every high schooler or college student drinks, but it is no surprise that a lot do. Either choice is socially accepted. The taboo side of drinking is when this frequent alcohol consumption in young adulthood turns into a problem in the later stages of life.
Approximately 80% of college students drink some form of alcohol, and 50% of those students engage in binge drinking. This does not directly relate to alcoholism in the future, but it can definitely open the door to it. Someone can run into drinking problems much later in life as well, without any influence from their college experience. Either way, it is prevalent in the U.S.
A study from Sep. 2017 looked at the drinking habits of Americans over a 10 year period, spanning 2001-2002 to 2012-2013. 12-month alcohol use increased by 11.2%, high-risk drinking increased by 29.9% and alcohol use disorder increased by 49.4%. The DSM-V gives multiple symptoms or scenarios to help determine if a person has AUD. People can be characterized with a mild, moderate or severe level depending on how much of the criteria they meet.
AUD is being used more than alcoholism because it gives a more clinical explanation for someone’s dependence on alcohol. It also details the different ways a person can abuse alcohol. Determining the symptoms of someone with AUD can help the recovery process if family, friends and doctors can better pinpoint the issue behind the alcohol abuse.
Hopefully, this medical aspect will make it easier to talk about the problem and work toward a solution. If it is something that can be conquered or fixed, the incentive becomes healing.
We often forget that alcohol is a drug. While the substance itself may not be addictive, the act of drinking can be. It becomes habitual. Wine Wednesday? Thirsty Thursday? These are traditions that reinforce drinking whether we want them to or not.
We need to better address alcohol’s influence in a person’s life. Physical and mental harm, decreased work abilities, limited social and family life—these are only a few outcomes from excessive alcohol intake. This starts with teaching young people how to responsibly drink, including when, where and how. It continues with destigmatizing AUD and other drinking habits in adults. They need to be able to address the problem, not only the alcohol but the original stressor (if there was one). We should be comfortable with our close relationships and doctors to talk about this, especially if a person is predisposed to AUD.
Alcohol is present in everyone’s life, even if they don’t personally drink. It’s time we openly recognize the negative impacts and help those struggling with it safely implementing it in their lives.
Maddie Peters can be reached at pete9542@stthomas.edu.
"Drink" - Google News
January 13, 2020 at 01:00AM
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OPINION: American drinking culture needs to change - Tommie Media
"Drink" - Google News
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