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The unwarranted consumption of alcohol is becoming a problem on a universal scale, resulting in countless societal problems affecting all walks of life. In northern Ireland the Chief Medical Officer – Dr Michael McBride has identified the extensive use of alcohol among the younger generation. In Northern Ireland children as young as 11 are drinking and by the age of 16 it is believed four out of five teenagers will have had an alcoholic drink of some type. Dr McBride believes that the motive behind so many young people turning to drink in Northern Ireland is to enhance their social and sexual confidence and called on higher awareness of the harm that alcohol can do. Sadly extreme consumption of alcohol amongst teenagers is having a adverse effect on communities across Northern Ireland chiefly within urban areas. Within 2 years child crime has grown by almost 20% mainly fueled by alcoholic consumption among children as young as seven. In contrast, burglary, vehicle crime and criminal damage have seen modest rises while alcohol-related offences have increased by as much as a third. In Northern Ireland The Garda youth diversion programme has been put in place to try and curb this anti social behavior with some positive results. Children suspected of crimes under this system are given the opportunity to redeem themselves by compensating or saying sorry to victims. Around 60-70% of the children have not re-offended inside the first year after being submitted into this scheme. Obviously these problems are not limited to Northern Ireland and around the world countries are taking their own steps to tackle the social impact of alcohol-related incidents. In recent years millions have been invested on an annual basis by drink companies in Kenya on measures to tackle alcohol abuse, underage drinking and drink driving. Purchases of alcoholic beverages have soared and these companies have invested a lot in projects to try and stem the sometimes negative impact. Advertising, warnings on bottle labels and bartender training are just some of the steps that have been implemented. The National Alcohol Beverages Association of Kenya (Nabak) working beside The Pubs Entertainment Restaurants Association of Kenya (Perak) have been guiding the drinking habits of Kenyans by supporting alcohol selling outlets to encourage sensible drinking. The outcome has been very positive resulting in a significant downward trend in underage drinking as a result of recent campaigns. Other countries are using other methods in their attempt to combat alcohol abuse. Australia has introduced restrictions in its Northern Territory, and in some towns photo identification must be produced when purchasing alcoholic drinks. These new procedures have not gone down well with everyone and some publicans have been subject to harassment, but generally the consensus among retailers is that this is a decisive move in the battle against the rising social problems connected to alcohol.
Maria is a freelance journalist writing about The Drink Shop at eComparison.
Article Source:- Link Building
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