Student Life Information

Danny Riley of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust is Seeking your Opinion on Binge Drinking

Drink culture in the UK is becoming more and more of a problem.  The British Crime survey shows that 1.2 million incidents of violent crime is in some  way alcohol  related , that’s half the total number of incidents.  The Government estimates that alcohol related harms, whether that 's destruction of property or time spent in A&E wards, costs the country around £20 billion each year.

Alcohol is a mind altering drug.  When under its influence people  often make choices that  can put  them in danger. They make decisions that  can increase their risk of becoming a victim of violence and aggression.
 
Obviously people have been drinking for a long time, so why is it more of a problem now, as opposed to 20 years ago?  The fact is we are drinking more than we ever have done and from an earlier and earlier age.  There are three big factors which effect the degree to which we drink alcohol.  Price, Availability and Social Attitudes towards alcohol.
 
Over the last 30 years, alcohol has become increasingly available and cheaper in real terms.  Basically you can buy it from more places and you will have more change left over once you do.
 
Social attitudes towards drinking are being debated up and down the country.  What makes people think that drinking is cool, what makes people more willing to put themselves in a position of danger ?
 
Many of us are starting to drink younger and younger.  Recent studies have shown that kids as young as 11 are now binge drinking regularly.  The earlier you start, the less of a respect you have for its power as you get older.
 
The Suzy Lamplugh Trust doesn’t think you should choose a sober life, we are not anti drink.  We just think that people should treat alcohol with the respect it deserves.  It ' s not about not drinking, it’s about drinking safely.
 
Lots of organisations are trying to get young adults to stop drinking by telling them that it is bad.  That they are bad for doing it.  What we would like to do is to ask you what you think about alcohol.  What we would like is for you to outline if you drink, how often and how much you drink, and what you think influences your drinking habits (mates, TV, your parents), what makes drinking cool?.
 
We want to equip people to be able to minimise the risk that they face, not just to tell them to stop drinking.  We can only do this if you tell us what you think! 
 
Email us your responses to press@suzylamplugh.org and in the next issue of Get Smart we will publish a sample.  Your responses can remain anonymous if you so choose.  What we would like to know is your city/area, age and gender.

www.suzylamplugh.org

Tel: 020 7091 0014

Fax: 020 7091 0015