Call 888-647-0579 to speak with an alcohol or drug abuse counselor.

Who Answers?

Binge drinking best tackled through personal networks

Addressing personal friendship networks is the best way to tackle the spread of binge drinking in the UK, the Advertising Association has found.

It come in the wake of a new ad campaign wave from the Home Office which aims to deal with what is perceived as a growing national menace.

The ads contain shocking imagery, including a girl with vomit in her hair, which has grabbed the attention of the media around the world.

Results of the AA’s research establish that social influence operating through personal friendship networks alone explains the large rise in binge drinking among young people seen recently in the UK.

The pilot study examined whether the rise in binge drinking is a “fashion” phenomenon, which has spread by observing and copying what other people do.

Many previous studies have related movements in alcohol consumption to factors such as disposable income, price and advertising.

None of these, the report claims, have taken into account the possible effect of copying the behaviour of others ie. of fashion, as an important causal factor.

In this new research a standard market research survey was carried out in order to discover both the number of binge drinkers in the 18-24 year old population, where the problem is most acute, and their friendship patterns in terms of drinking behaviour.

The research shows that there are decisive differences in the drinking behaviour of friends of binge drinkers compared to the drinking behaviour of friends of non-binge drinkers.

By far the most dramatic difference is seen in the behaviour of friends. Some 85 per cent of binge drinkers think that most or all of their friends binge drink, compared to just 41 per cent for non-binge drinkers.

Conversely, only 3 per cent of binge drinkers have no or hardly any friends that binge drink, compared to 22 per cent of non-binge drinkers.

The importance of the personal networks also extends to work colleagues. 65 per cent of binge drinkers think that most or all of their work colleagues binge drink, compared to just 34 per cent for non-binge drinkers. Whilst not as big a difference as with networks of friends this is still statistically a highly significant difference.

Advertising Association Chief Executive, Baroness Buscombe said, “This research shows conclusively that the people around us are the key influences in terms of our relationship with alcohol, not alcohol advertising.

“Not only do the findings of this study confirm this to be the case but they also demonstrate that a new approach to tackle binge drinking is required.”

She added, “Alcohol misuse is clearly a hugely important social issue that must be taken seriously. This new and compelling research highlighting the importance of personal friendship networks shows that tackling alcohol misuse is about encouraging behavioral change so people develop a healthy relationship with alcohol.

“Using the advertising industry as a positive and powerful tool to tackle serious societal problems would be a constructive way forward.”
__________
source: U Talk Marketing

More Treatment & Detox Articles

What’s So Special About Christian Rehab Centers?

Alcohol and drug addictions, in particular evolve out of the physical effects of ongoing substance abuse. While the substance and the physical effects it produces do account for the damage to a person’s life, the reasons that make him or her susceptible to addiction may very well lie at a deeper level. Christian rehab centers….

Substance abuse, schizophrenia and risk of violence

A study published this week in the open access journal PLoS Medicine demonstrates that there is an association between schizophrenia and violence, but shows that this association is greatly increased by drug and alcohol abuse. Importantly, the study also finds that the risk of violence from patients with psychoses who also have substance use disorder….

Cocaine traffickers switch from boats to submarines as they swamp US with drugs

Colombia’s drug barons used to favour high-speed powerboats to export their deadly cargos, leading law enforcers on high-speed chases as they swamped America with narcotics. Now, in an attempt to evade American surveillance, they are diverting their smuggling trade beneath the waves. Coast Guard and military patrols have reported a dramatic increase in do-it-yourself “semi-submersible”….

What Is Alcoholic Liver Disease? What Is Alcoholic Hepatitis?

Alcoholic liver disease, also called alcoholic hepatitis, refers to a range of conditions and related symptoms that develop when the liver becomes damaged due to excessive intake of alcohol. While distinct from cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis is regarded as the earliest stage of alcoholic liver disease. Alcohol has long been associated with serious liver diseases such….

An Alcoholic’s Savior: God, Belladonna or Both?

In October 1909, Dr. Alexander Lambert boldly announced to a New York Times reporter that he had found a surefire cure for alcoholism and drug addiction. Even more astounding, he stated that the treatment required “less than five days.” The therapy consisted of an odd mixture of belladonna (deadly nightshade), along with the fluid extracts….