Binge Drinking In the UK

History of binge drinking in the UK can be traced to several years back and nobody can tell exactly when it started. The Stone Age group thinks that fermenting of alcohol began twelve thousand years ago, during the Neolithic period, and there is no any idea if straws were used. The people of UK never got on to Thevinum until the Romans brought wine that was diluted with water. Romans in Britain influenced drinking. The Roman emperors who ruled from AD37 to AD69 were drunkards, despite the fact they were not allowed to drink while in the power stool.

The Romans brought about a culture where wine was consumed along with food and children consumed diluted wine . Beer was used as a carbohydrate food in early years. In medieval England there were three fermentations with the strongest one for men, then women and weakest for monks and children. Monks brewed the best quality to be used in Eucharist. In 1736 parliament wanted to pass a law to regulate gin but people rioted and instead production increased.

During World War 1 the government was concerned about the female soldiers who drank alcohol while fighting, thereby it introduced laws reducing beer’s strength and by the end of the war consumption had reduced, but at the moment it is on the rise. The culture of binge drinking in the UK does exist and it involves drinking intentionally to become intoxicated. The rate of consumption of Alcohol in UK per capita has risen in the last decade. People in UK not only drink beer but also spirits.

The culture of binge drinking in UK is a daily norm associated with fat incomes whereby alcohol consumption is a common part of everyday life activity characterised by low rates of abstinence and easy availability of alcohol. Binge drinking is higher in UK than in France. The culture of drinking in UK is different from other European nations which have binge drinkers doing it slowly in the evening, while in the UK it is done rapidly hence drunkenness. In the UK binge drinking culture has unique features whereby in a social context you find large groups of about eight to twelve going out with partners with a purpose of getting drunk together.

The binge drinking culture is a problem that costs the country billions of money each year. Binge drinking has both positive and negative effects. Beer is a drug like any other drug like cocaine or heroin . Binge drinking makes one to increase his self- confidence, one becomes relaxed. An average consumption of alcohol increases one’s sex drive (libido). On the other hand drinking can cause changes in people’s lives and behaviour. Alcohol cause illness and health problems, it can cause brain cell damage and the brain can not judge well, events will not be coordinated well in the brain and at older age one will lose memory.

When one takes alcohol, it is directly absorbed to bloodstream and makes every organ vulnerable to diseases like cancer. Drinking though known not to be illegal, has massive social costs than illegal drugs . Binge drinking makes one easily confused and one becomes emotional. Over drinking puts one at a risk of losing consciousness and it increases the chances on one causing an accident if driving under the influence of alcohol. Drinking increase ones risk of becoming a victim of heart attack and one feels nauseous. With alcohol consumption, self control becomes a problem, with depression. Binge drinkers risk liver damage and cirrhosis.

Students who binge drink are likely to fall behind in class work and are likely to plagiarise their work for submission. Binge drinking causes death, injuries and increased cases of sexual assault. Fighting at drinking places and place of resident will be on the rise . Youths are increasingly becoming binge drinkers. Children start binge drinking at an early age before teenage age. There is widespread binge drinking acts among the teenagers and pre-teens, with parents either ignoring or accepting such acts. In Europe, a youth apart from students drinking is not welcome but in UK it is welcome and youths massively drink.

Youths have social pressure to get drunk in order to fit a certain socially group, especially during a night out. Youths at any moment they get money they link one another and go out for intoxication. France has taken a step and it is struggling to combat youths from consuming alcohol. In conclusion, binge drinking is a real problem rather than an illusion, which need to be combated in the UK. Binge drinking has a long history in the UK, the culture of drinking is luring youths each day, who do not take into consideration or who ignore the severe consequences of binge drinking.

The government of UK is experiencing a rise in binge drinking by the youths. This has become a problematic issue to the government of UK in curbing the drinking culture. Bibliography: Family Training Program. Family training program for Alcohol misuse 2009. Accessed at,http://www. alcoholconcern. org. uk/files/20090429_190115_Flyer%20A5. pdf Gossop M. Living with Drugs, Ashgate Publishing, 2007. Vallely P. 2,000 Years of Binge Drinking, 2005. Accessed at, http://www. independent. co. uk/news/uk/this-britain/2000-years-of-binge-drinking- 516009. html