Statistics
According to sociological data, 82% of young people aged 12–20 years old periodically drink alcohol.
The average age at which they first try it is 14 years old. By the age of 17, almost all teenagers become familiar with alcohol.
If children drink alcohol every week for several months, then this can be called a systematic process. The type of alcohol does not matter: it can be weak or stronger drinks. Beer is the most popular of them: 1/3 of children at 12 years old already drink it, and at 13 years old the number of teenagers is measured at 2/3 of the total. 33.1% of boys and 20.1% of girls abuse alcohol every day.
The cause of 5–7% of all childhood poisonings is alcohol. An excessive dose can lead to fatal consequences, since a young body quickly succumbs to the influence of alcohol. Alcoholic drinks cause strong agitation, which then gives way to sound sleep, and the number of cases of alcoholic psychosis among young people has also increased. Typically, such a manifestation occurs only after 2–3 years of the chronic stage of the disease.
Bibliography
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Symptoms
The problem becomes urgent among people aged 20 to 22 years. Adolescents begin early alcoholism, which by these years develops into a disease. From the age of 16, group psychological dependence can manifest itself when they drink only in one company. With other young people he is not drawn to alcohol.
At an earlier age, alcoholism appears less frequently because it takes some time to develop. Occurring cases can be observed between the ages of 13 and 18 years. More often, the disease is at this time in the first stage of development and manifests itself with the following symptoms:
- great interest in alcohol, frequent use (2-3 times a week), sometimes even alone;
- tolerance to alcohol occurs - the next day after taking it you feel good;
- tolerance to alcohol increases;
- loss of appetite, especially in the morning;
- There are partial memory loss.
Symptoms of alcohol addiction in a teenager
The main signs of alcoholism in adolescents are manifested by external signs, changes in behavior, and psycho-emotional state:
- the smell of alcohol or fumes;
- redness on the face;
- poor coordination, uneven gait;
- sudden change in weight (in any direction);
- sleep problems;
- poor grades at school, absenteeism;
- new company, reluctance to introduce parents to new friends;
- unkempt appearance, indifference to hygiene;
- forgetfulness, impaired attention, inability to concentrate;
- frequent mood swings, constant anxiety, nervousness;
- apathy or excessive excitability, irritability;
- secrecy, deceit.
Causes of the disease
Several factors can be identified as a result of which alcoholism develops among young people.
Family problems
If a child is raised in a prosperous family and is given attention, then the likelihood that he will reach for alcohol is minimal. Addiction to alcohol can arise due to misunderstanding on the part of parents. Often they themselves set a bad example, then the child learns from childhood that alcohol is an integral part of every feast.
Children are often given their first drink at home, which encourages young people to think that they can already drink alcohol. Children begin to do this outside the home.
In dysfunctional families, no one controls the actions of young people and their whereabouts. They are left alone with their problems. The genetic factor in this case plays an important role, and children who are raised in dysfunctional families or families where one of the parents is a stranger often suffer from addiction. There is a desire to forget and get away from problems, which gives rise to alcoholism and domestic violence.
Excessive care can also lead to addiction to alcohol. This is also facilitated by the child’s impunity and indulgence of his whims.
Bad Company
While some people get their first experience with alcohol in their family, others get it among friends, starting to try it out of curiosity. No one at that age wants to be a black sheep. In order not to stand out from others, teenagers drink with everyone else. A significant role is played by the desire to assert oneself and show off to friends. A large amount of pocket money only encourages drinking. If there are not enough of them, then the systematic entry of alcohol into the body is disrupted.
Children often suffer from various kinds of complexes at this age. Alcohol helps you loosen up, relax and establish contact. Children believe that drinking alcohol makes them more mature. Drinking in company is cool. The reason for early alcoholism in this case is not the craving for alcohol, but the influence of the company. In addition to biological dependence, psychological dependence also arises.
Personality Features
Research into alcoholism at a young age has led to the identification of certain character traits that predominate in addicted adolescents. These include:
- weakness of will, inability to defend one’s opinion;
- quick change of interests;
- the desire to receive new experiences, to be the center of attention;
- emotional instability;
- demonstrative behavior.
Individuals who suffer from attacks of angry and melancholy mood are highly susceptible to the effects of alcohol. They try to drown out this state and unfulfilled ambitions with alcohol. But the effect of this is just the opposite. Addiction develops faster in young people who have suffered a brain injury or neuroinfection. Introverted and passive teenagers are the least addicted to alcohol: their need for contacts is low, their emotions are not very expressed.
Adolescents are unable to assess the danger of early alcoholism. They have little understanding of the consequences of their actions.
Availability of alcohol
The stores have a huge selection of alcoholic drinks. Many of them are noted for their cheapness. Various types of liqueurs and cocktails containing juice are not safe for children. Long-term use also contributes to the development of addiction.
Similar materials
Alcohol addiction among large sections of the population in our time remains one of the most pressing problems facing modern society. From a sociological point of view, this is one of the forms of deviation, deviant behavior caused by the relevant conditions of the social environment and determined by an uncontrollable attraction to alcohol. This phenomenon takes on particularly dangerous forms when it is widespread among young people, because they are the least stable, mobile and vulnerable. The current situation in this area not only causes certain concerns today, but also poses a number of urgent questions for researchers.
One of the leading indicators of the alcohol situation, both in our country and throughout the world, is the level of alcohol consumption per capita, taken in statistics for one year.
Thus, according to the World Health Organization for 2014, the level of alcohol consumption per capita in Russia was 15.76 liters of pure ethyl alcohol. This is close to “world leadership”. However, for the Republic of Bashkortostan this figure is noticeably lower - 7.9 liters.
In addition, according to the State Committee of the Republic of Bashkortostan for Trade and Protection of Consumer Rights, in general, the consumption of alcoholic beverages in the Republic of Bashkortostan has been gradually declining in recent years, and this gives some reason for optimism. But at the same time, for example, according to the Center for Research of Federal and Regional Alcohol Markets, by 2014, mortality from alcohol poisoning in the republic increased by 58.8%. At the same time, the greatest increase in mortality is observed in the border regions of the Republic of Bashkortostan, which are more accessible to imported counterfeit products. These same areas with the lowest percentage of legal alcohol consumption also show a steady decline in population, which is not surprising.
Alcohol addiction in Russia is becoming younger every year. Thus, the expert community claims that the mass introduction of children to alcohol begins after 10-11 years, as a rule, with beer and low-alcohol cocktails. By the age of 16, 99% of young people have experience of systematic alcohol consumption, so that 33% of boys and 20% of girls consume alcohol-containing drinks every day in the Russian Federation. [1]
What compels young people to take up the glass? There are several reasons for alcoholism in this environment.
Firstly, this is the lack of a culture of alcohol consumption in society, intrusive advertising and the availability of these products for young people. This includes the mentality, way of thinking, worldview of a person as a social group or cultural environment, and if somewhere it is accepted as the “norm” to hold certain events accompanied by alcoholic drinks, then to deviate from this is to go against traditions! And accumulated doubts are practically not so easy to change.
Secondly, this is the social disadvantage of broad sections of the population. And this place is a factor in the consumption of a large number of low-quality products from the segment of strong and business drinks. In the “middle class” group, alcoholism is not such an acute problem.
Thirdly, this is a crisis of the family as a social institution. In most “problem families,” survival replaces life and development itself. But even this survival is an illusion. Personal growth stops. There is a fixation on feelings of inadequacy.
During adolescence, family occupies a positive place in the life of every person. Associated values and traditions play an important role in the personal and conscious self-identification of an individual. Family for a child is the main spiritual and ideological force. Therefore, the increase in the number of single-parent families is also a serious factor in the problem under consideration. The destruction of a family does not pass without a trace. Divorce of parents often conceals the origins of misunderstanding, loneliness, uselessness, and resentment in children. Teenagers feel fear, become aggressive, and school, as an agent of socialization, does not always successfully compensate for this negative social background. The most important function of the family is education; it is a complex and two-way process. The family acts as an intermediary between the child and society and serves to convey social experience to him. Through intrafamily communication, the child learns all social practices and understanding of “normal” behavior. Therefore, we can say with confidence that negative examples of parents, incorrect guidelines and a crisis of family values play a decisive role in the alcoholism of the younger generation.
Alcoholism among young people currently represents a branched complex of social pathologies that affect the normal functioning of society. It should be realized that the solution to this problem, along with medical and social workers representing the institution of the state, should also be addressed by society, civil society in general, in various aspects of its activity. Thus, the most important way to overcome this problem is to promote a healthy lifestyle, demonstrate clear examples of the various consequences of alcohol consumption in schools, secondary schools and universities. This practice is very important and it is spreading. The youth subculture itself does not stand aside. She is increasingly showing elements of self-awareness. Various national and regional movements emerge, such as “Youth for a Sober Russia!” etc.
Indeed, modern youth, especially students, must also independently look for opportunities to resist the dangerous trend, and even study it. For example, in classes on sociology, ethics and political science, you can get enough complete and objective information to have a clear idea of what alcohol addiction is and how harmful it is for young people full of hope and prospects for the future [2].
Impact on a young body
Alcoholism in adolescents is more dangerous than the manifestation of this disease in adulthood.
In girls, reproductive function is impaired. Infertility may develop, and the ability to bear and give birth to a healthy child decreases. This is also facilitated by early onset of sexual activity under the influence of alcohol, which leads to unplanned pregnancies, and then to abortions with their complications. Sexual functions begin to weaken, and the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, hepatitis B and C, and HIV infection increases.
Organs damaged:
- liver (cirrhosis may develop);
- brain (a small dose of alcohol kills brain cells);
- pancreas;
- kidneys
The functioning of the gastrointestinal tract is disrupted. The cardiovascular system suffers - problems with blood pressure appear, arrhythmia and tachycardia occur. Inflammatory processes in the respiratory tract develop and damage the endocrine system.
A young body exhibits the following symptoms:
- growth is delayed;
- vision deteriorates;
- the composition of the blood is disrupted, anemia develops;
- immunity decreases;
- vitamin deficiency appears;
- mental problems begin;
- personality degrades.
Often, childhood alcoholism is accompanied by various diseases. These may be diabetes mellitus, fatty liver, varicose veins, mental illness, etc.
The teenager stops taking care of himself. Moral qualities fade into the background. The child does not fulfill his work responsibilities, he neglects his studies, and problems with the law may begin. Conflicts in the family increase, the child becomes rude, aggressive and apathetic. He is not interested in anything, his thoughts are occupied only with alcohol.
At a young age, alcohol initially gives a feeling of euphoria, cheerfulness, and carelessness, but then this gives way to anger and apathy. In this state, teenagers can commit rash acts.
Many people at this age combine alcohol with other harmful substances: they begin to sniff glue, use medications and recreational drugs. This makes the problem even worse.
ALCOHOLISM IN YOUTH ENVIRONMENT AS A SOCIAL PROBLEM
Youth is the most unusual and memorable time of our lives. A time of change and new beginnings. The period when each of us tries to determine our future path in life.
At this age, it is extremely important to form a correct idea of what surrounds us, to understand which values are true and which ones should be avoided. The influence of society is undoubtedly great. But leaving the formation of your views only in the hands of your environment (often unfavorable) is a mistake. Childhood is far behind us. Therefore, it is important to learn to evaluate what is happening around yourself, to choose the right guidelines and directions. This is perhaps the greatest difficulty, the neglect of which leads to various problems in society. One of these problems is youth alcoholism.
According to the latest medical statistics and various sociological studies, the level of alcoholism among young people is unusually high. Between the ages of 12 and 22, about 82% of people drink alcohol with varying frequency. Moreover, the average age at which teenagers start drinking alcohol is 14 years. It is worth noting here that alcoholism itself in adolescents is quite rare, since alcoholism as a disease develops over a certain period of time, and often does not have time to form by adulthood. However, in no case can one exclude such a fact as early alcoholism. This leads to the development of alcoholism at the age of 20-22 years. Early alcoholism is considered to be early exposure to strong alcoholic drinks (before 16 years of age) and their frequent use in adolescence.
Official statistics recorded that during the period from 1991 to 2000, the number of newly diagnosed adolescents with alcoholism increased 1.5 times and amounted to 10.5 per 100 thousand adolescents. The number of teenagers registered with narcologists also increased 1.5 times and, according to official statistics, in 2000 amounted to 819.8 people per 100,000 population.
Drinking is much more dangerous for teenagers than for adults. Teenagers have a greater risk of falling into a coma due to low blood sugar levels, a tendency to hypothermia (hypothermia) and the development of respiratory diseases. Alcohol also negatively affects the immune system, making a teenager much more susceptible to infections, such as pneumonia, HIV and tuberculosis.
Alcohol also affects the brain. If a person starts drinking in his youth, this leads to memory loss that develops with age. Because adolescents are more sensitive to the neurotoxic effects of alcohol, the effects of brain damage can be unpredictable.
At the stage of early alcoholism, it is necessary to note the phenomenon called Group mental dependence. Here we are talking about drinking alcoholic beverages only in “your” company. In strange places and with unfamiliar people, the craving for alcohol completely disappears. In addition, separation from the group, as a rule, completely stops alcoholism, which is a positive thing. It is also noted that group dependence, in essence, is a manifestation of addictive behavior, that is, the abuse of various substances that change the mental state, before dependence has formed on them.
But group addiction is by no means the only cause of alcohol abuse among young people. According to surveys of young people, the most common reasons for drinking alcohol are the desire to improve their mood and relieve stress. Here the reason lies in the misconceptions of young people about the “beneficial properties” of alcohol. As for the adult population, it is generally accepted that many drink alcohol to escape problems. Young people, however, are confident that alcohol improves their mood, invigorates them, helps create the right atmosphere, brings unfamiliar groups together, and makes conversation more lively and interesting. Underage drinkers are characterized by pretense, unceremoniousness, and swagger, which are easily replaced by depression and helplessness. They find it difficult to predict events, lose the ability to respond to stimuli of the past and future, cannot escape the captivity of momentary experiences and impulses, and live one day at a time. They exhibit lightness and superficiality of judgment, excessive talkativeness, and increased self-esteem.
The vast majority of young people are well aware of the enormous harm of alcohol. Various seminars are held where everyone learns about how many problems and troubles excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages can cause, especially at an early age. However, even with general awareness, teenagers do not want to quit this habit. This leads to the conclusion that they incorrectly assess the harm that alcohol causes to their body, or simply do not want to do it at all. In general, alcoholism is not a habit, but a disease. The habit is controlled by the mind, and you can get rid of it. Alcohol addiction is more difficult to overcome due to the poisoning of the body.
It is impossible not to note the enormous influence of certain types of alcoholic beverages. Indeed, at the moment, many experts consider beer alcoholism among young people as one of the most important problems of modern Russian society. More and more young people are suffering from alcohol addiction, especially beer. Those who prefer light alcoholic drinks usually drink them in the company of peers, at a disco, at birthday parties, “to quench their thirst in the summer,” and quite rarely alone. Almost all adolescents in this group reported that the desire to drink usually arises in the company of their peers. This pattern of alcohol consumption indicates the presence of group mental dependence in these adolescents. It is noteworthy that teenagers who preferred light alcoholic drinks in 100% of cases denied the existence of a problem associated with alcoholism and went to see a doctor solely under the persistent influence of relatives and friends. In the process of further psychotherapeutic treatment, these adolescents presented the greatest difficulty in correcting alcohol anosognosia.
It is of great importance that the need for alcohol is not one of the natural life needs of a person, such as the need for oxygen or food, and therefore alcohol itself does not have a motivating force for a person. However, this need, like some other human “needs” (for example, smoking), appears because society, firstly, produces this product and, secondly, “reproduces” customs, forms, habits and prejudices associated with its consumption. Of course, these habits are not inherent to everyone to the same extent.
The problem of alcoholism is extremely urgent for our country. As you know, it is easier to prevent a disease than to treat it, therefore, in addition to treating the disease, which is currently not effective, it is necessary to eradicate the causes of this problem. A relatively simple way out of this situation would be a radical increase in the prices of alcoholic beverages, which would reduce their availability. Important social measures today remain bans on drinking alcohol, high level of preventive and propaganda work, etc.
Today, the problem of alcoholism is unresolved both in the world and in Russia. Now in Russia there are more than 2 million citizens suffering from alcoholism, which takes this problem from the number of private, local problems to the realm of state problems. The problem of alcoholism has long turned into a large-scale medical and social threat to the Russian nation.
Lichko A.E. Psychopathy and character accentuation in adolescents / A.E. Lichko L..- Medicine. -1983. -255s.
Egorov A.Yu. Early onset alcoholism: current state of the problem / A.Yu. Egorov// Questions of Narcology.- 2002.- P. 50-54
Korolenko Ts.P. Addictive behavior. General characteristics and patterns of development / Ts.P. Korolenko//Review of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology. -1991. — P. 8-15
A pressing problem at the moment is youth alcoholism. Every year more and more young people suffer from this disease. At this age, the risk of becoming addicted is very high. A teenager is seriously influenced by his environment and family situation.
Prevention measures
In many countries, work is carried out with children aimed at preventing the development of alcohol dependence. It consists of educating young people about this problem and banning the sale of alcoholic beverages to persons under 18 years of age.
To achieve results, the prevention of alcoholism must simultaneously take place in several directions:
- in the family circle;
- At school;
- at the state level.
The child in the family is provided with favorable conditions. Parents set an example to follow by their behavior: by refusing to drink alcohol, they provide their children with the correct daily routine. They make sure their teenagers don't have too much free time. To do this, mom and dad organize activities for them in their leisure time, highlight the child’s strengths and actively develop them. The best prevention is warm and friendly relationships in the family.
In addition, the school actively promotes a healthy lifestyle. Children are introduced to sports. The school nurse works to prevent alcoholism. Teachers establish contact with children. This will help identify the problem at an early stage of its development.
In addition to the ban on the sale of alcohol to minors, there should also be a ban on advertising of alcoholic beverages during the daytime, this also applies to low-alcohol drinks. Drunkenness can be prevented by establishing criminal liability for involving minors in drinking alcohol; it is also worth not hiring teenagers in areas that relate to alcohol.
How many people drink in Russia?
General statistics note that in 2020 the total number of alcoholics is 5 million people, which is 3.4% of the total population of the country. in need of serious treatment are registered in medical institutions .
Unfortunately, alcohol consumption is falling only on paper. Over the past 10 years, there has been a decline in sales of alcoholic beverages, but sales of surrogate alcohol are growing. According to statistics, 150 thousand people were poisoned by a surrogate over the past 2 years. 41 thousand people of them died.
The fight against illegal alcohol is ongoing, but new distributors of illegal alcohol are constantly appearing on the market. People get drunk gradually, and no matter how much a person says: “I’ll stop drinking when I want,” as a rule, it doesn’t work.
In Russia, 60% of alcoholics are people aged 24-30 years. Most people live with this disease until they are 50 years old. Only 20% can live more than 50 years. At the beginning of 2020, there were more than 20 million alcoholics in Russia.
Most addicts became addicted to this habit thanks to beer, champagne, and various liqueurs. Out of 10 people who drink over the course of 17 years, 1 will die and 2 will become drunk.
Treatment
Addiction is a severe stage of the disease. It must be treated in a special clinic and with the help of specialists. Early diagnosis of the disease is of great importance. First, patients take medications that will help remove toxic substances from the body that have accumulated due to prolonged alcohol consumption. But not all remedies can be used, taking into account the age of the patients. This factor complicates the treatment process.
After this, work begins to restore the affected organs, and patients also take vitamins that are washed out of the body by alcohol. For treatment, you can use medicinal preparations and herbs that have a diuretic, strengthening, and immune-restoring effect. It is recommended to combine therapy with exercise and active recreation.
Much attention should be paid to the psychological aspect. It will take much longer to restore the functioning of the nervous system.
The specialist should promote good relationships in the family. Parents should protect their child as much as possible from the bad influence of the company, sometimes by moving.
Alcohol use by women
It has always been believed that only men can drink. In fact, women are not inferior to men. It just so happens that modern women are not lagging behind men in anything. They work on an equal basis with the stronger sex, and in any field of activity, they share life’s difficulties with men in half, and achieve enormous success.
So some ladies acquired the habit of drinking alcohol along with other men. Today, the number of women who drink alcohol makes up 38% of the total number of citizens with alcoholism.
The most important thing is that successful, fairly educated ladies are more prone to excessive consumption. Like the men of high society, the ladies are in no way inferior to them, and the use becomes constant.
Female alcoholism is a problem for the entire society. It greatly worries specialists. This is explained by the fact that women suffer the disease much more severely. The weaker sex gets drunk faster, and treatment rarely has a favorable outcome.
