Drugs Information Amongst Media Promoting Drinking Equally The 'Norm', How Tin Parents Attention Their Teen Railroad Train Salubrious Attitudes Towards Alcohol, Including Regarding 'Non-Drinking' Equally A Valid Option?

Last black I was watching the TV intelligence in addition to during a even out close the electrical flow Test fit the cameras of a precipitous turned their focus onto none-other than our ex-Prime Minister, Bob Hawke. I didn't grab why nosotros had turned our attending away from the game but a 2nd afterwards nosotros flashed dorsum to the older statesman spell he successfully skolled a beer inwards celebration of our success on the field. The commentators apparently loved it, thoroughly enjoying his drinking skills laughing in addition to proverb "He's soundless got the capability – expert on him!" The SMH continued the same draw this morning time writing "to the please of the crowd, the 87-year-old pulled out his political party trick, downing a frothie alongside aplomb … Hawke was in addition to so shown on the SCG's big covert fulfilling expectations, to the thanks of an adoring crowd." (By the way, the covert is sponsored past times Victoria Bitter beer!) News.com had the headline - "Hawke knocks dorsum a frothie" in addition to Sporting News wrote "Bob Hawke necks a beer at the cricket"...

Now I receive got no occupation alongside anyone, whether it live Bob Hawke, The Queen or Humphrey B Bear, enjoying a imbibe in addition to fifty-fifty skolling a beer if they wish while they're watching sport, socialising alongside friends or whatever. It's a legal activity in addition to it's non my occupation concern what anyone does inwards that expanse every bit long every bit it doesn't impact me or anyone else that I attention about. That said, did Channel nine genuinely postulate to plough a photographic boob tube camera onto an 87-year-old homo in addition to exhibit him skolling a imbibe in addition to and so actively celebrate it, non once, but over in addition to over again? Not surprisingly, the SMH even out took it fifty-fifty further, grabbing the chance to allow us all know (once again) that our one-time PM in i lawsuit laid a basis speed drinking tape …

"The one-time PM was re-enacting his feat from the 2012 SCG Test against Bharat ... Without hesitation, the then-82-year-old downed the beer inwards i become inwards forepart of an ecstatic crowd - taking close eleven seconds to destination the drink. That is the same amount of fourth dimension he is said to receive got taken to imbibe 2½ pints of beer when he laid a basis speed drinking tape during his fourth dimension every bit a educatee at University College, Oxford inwards 1955."

As I said, at that topographic point is absolutely aught incorrect alongside what our ex-PM did – he looked similar he was having a groovy fourth dimension in addition to expert on him! What I receive got the number alongside is that nosotros don't postulate to run into it. It was a cricket fit – exhibit the cricket! So many immature people spotter the sport – what message are they getting from this form of coverage? Most of them would receive got no clue who Hawke was – all they would live picking upward from what they were seeing is a real clear message that alcohol in addition to sport become together in addition to that if you lot tin mail away imbibe it speedily it volition live celebrated. Skolling a beer or whatsoever cast of alcohol is seen, at the real least, every bit funny (the commentators idea it was hilarious), and, if you're lucky, you lot may fifty-fifty acquire a standing ovation for your efforts!

Australia has a unique human relationship alongside alcohol. It plays a major role inwards many people's lives when it comes to socialising in addition to is non solely regarded every bit 'socially acceptable' but 'socially expected', i.e., if you lot don't drink, at that topographic point must live something incorrect alongside you. We imbibe alcohol to celebrate, to commiserate, to relax, to receive got fun, inwards fact, it is primal to almost whatsoever social gathering or effect held inwards this country. It is interesting, therefore, that fifty-fifty inside such a culture, nosotros receive got a growing number of adolescents choosing non to drink. Not exactly drinking less (and the numbers there are increasing every bit well), but genuinely non drinking at all. Unfortunately, however, alcohol exercise is perceived every bit the norm in addition to it is vital that nosotros offset to back upward those who pick out non to imbibe in addition to promote 'non-drinking' every bit a valid in addition to socially acceptable choice.

It is hard to live an adult non-drinker inwards this country, alongside few, if any, social gatherings or events where the presence of alcohol is non forepart in addition to centre. Most adults who pick out non to drink, for whatever reason, volition tell you lot that they discovery it incredibly annoying that most people assume that everyone drinks, in addition to if you lot don't at that topographic point must live something incorrect alongside you. Constantly explaining in addition to oft defending the reasoning behind your determination tin mail away acquire ho-hum at best. If adults experience that groovy social pressure, how hard must it live for a 15-16-year-old adolescent who is struggling with working out where they fit inwards the world?

So how tin mail away nosotros back upward our immature people when they are constantly bombarded past times messages (like the ones that nosotros saw celebrated at the cricket yesterday) that propose the solely agency to 'have a expert time', peculiarly inwards a sporting context or at a special event, is to drink? One uncomplicated agency is to challenge existing stereotypes around alcohol, with families able to play an of import role if they laid their heed to it. Unfortunately, many parents believe that they tin mail away produce piffling to influence their child’s drinking behaviour. This is non true. Parents tin mail away brand a existent departure in addition to promote positive attitudes around alcohol, including seeing non-drinking every bit a valid in addition to socially acceptable option, past times doing the following:

• acknowledge all types of drinking – 'risky', 'moderate' in addition to 'non-drinking'. There are basically 3 options when it comes to alcohol. You tin mail away pick out to imbibe to excess, imbibe responsibly or you tin mail away pick out non to imbibe at all. All are valid choices (with varying degrees of risk) in addition to all should live acknowledged. Assuming that every immature soul volition imbibe alcohol at some signal or some other is exactly non truthful in addition to tin mail away brand your kid experience something is incorrect alongside them or their alternative if that is the path they desire to follow
• if you lot know a 'non-drinker' – utter close them! If you lot or your partner doesn't imbibe alcohol – utter close your decision. Don't jam it downwards their pharynx - but if the theme arises, grab the opportunity. If alcohol is a role of your life, a non-drinking relative or identify unit of measurement friend tin mail away live 'wheeled out’ occasionally to utter close their decisions around drinking alongside your teens. Your kid needs to live aware that adults tin mail away receive got a expert fourth dimension without alcohol in addition to that if they pick out non to imbibe they volition non live a 'social outcast'.
• discuss reasons people pick out non to drink – nosotros know most imbibe to socialize, why produce people pick out non to? This is an of import conversation to receive got alongside a child, acknowledging unlike religious in addition to cultural differences, that some people experience groovy problems alongside alcohol perchance due to their identify unit of measurement history, spell others exactly don't similar the gustation or exactly aren't interested in addition to that's okay!
• promote positive norms – 'flip the figures' in addition to utter close how many people don't imbibe to excess in addition to that the bulk of teens are non doing these things, e.g., most 15-year-olds form themselves every bit non-drinkers in addition to the number is growing.
• challenge misconceptions in addition to avoid generalizations – all likewise oft parents brand huge statements similar "everyone drinks" or "they'll all imbibe at some fourth dimension or another". Actually, non everyone drinks, they won't all produce it in addition to most teens don't bring role inwards some of the riskier alcohol-related conduct oft reported inwards the media!
• be a positive role-model – a kid learns so much close alcohol from watching you lot in addition to your drinking behaviour, non solely during their teen years but from the real early on years. If you lot receive got a chocolate-brown newspaper handbag alongside a brace of bottles inwards it under your arm every fourth dimension you're out alongside friends, you are sending a rigid message to your kids about the role alcohol plays inwards socializing. That's non necessarily a bad thing, it's exactly of import that you lot utter close it.
  

So what tin mail away you lot so to live a expert role-model? Here are some uncomplicated things that parents tin mail away produce that tin mail away brand a positive impact on your teen's attitudes around alcohol in addition to socializing:

• talk close your alcohol use – how produce you lot seek out to imbibe safely?
• try to restrain your alcohol exercise inwards forepart of your children
• organise events alongside families in addition to friends that don't involve alcohol
• provide nutrient in addition to non-alcoholic beverages if making alcohol available to guests
• don't portray alcohol every bit a expert agency to bargain alongside stress, e.g., "I've had a bad day, I postulate a drink!"
• sometimes refuse the offering of alcohol

I'm for certain non close promoting abstinence when it comes to alcohol – it's a legal production and, every bit I've already said, if you lot desire to imbibe in addition to you're non pain anyone else, become for it! It's of import to admit that nosotros alive inwards a social club where alcohol is used widely, alongside the bulk of Australians drinking reasonably responsibly. Most adults actively support, both past times their actions in addition to past times what they say, those teens who pick out non to exercise illicit drugs, however, the same cannot ever live said when it comes to alcohol. If teens choose non to imbibe alcohol they postulate to live supported inwards that alternative in addition to the best agency to produce that is to acquire inwards real clear that choosing non to imbibe is socially acceptable in addition to those who don't imbibe produce non receive got 3 heads in addition to are, inwards fact, completely normal!

I'll say i to a greater extent than fourth dimension – I am non criticising Bob Hawke for having a imbibe or fifty-fifty skolling it – that's his business. But when are nosotros going to acquire to the point when the media realizes that their constant 'promotion' of the link between alcohol in addition to sport (e.g., whatsoever Melbourne Cup coverage, or winners of almost whatsoever sporting effect are shown popping opened upward a champagne bottle) in addition to whatsoever special effect (I tin mail away almost guarantee that whatsoever intelligence coverage of Australia Day volition involve at to the lowest degree a few cans in addition to bottles in addition to a brace of people looking a chip worse for wear!) is non helpful? Most importantly, they don't postulate to exhibit alcohol inwards these stories. It's exactly non necessary. There's so much to a greater extent than they could include in a 90-second spot on the intelligence close whatsoever sporting effect (like the actual sport perhaps?) in addition to produce nosotros genuinely postulate to run into a pile of boozer Aussies alongside tinnies inwards their hands inwards a piece highlighting our national day? (The picture of a surfer paddling at Bondi balancing a tin mail away of VB alongside an Australian flag inwards it on his board played over the lastly credits of the Channel nine News on Commonwealth of Australia Day a brace of years agone soundless baffles me. There must receive got been so many other wonderful shots that could receive got been used - why that one? Is at that topographic point whatsoever other province inwards the basis where their flag is used to promote alcohol to such an extent?)

Challenging the messages our kids are bombarded alongside around alcohol past times the media is not going to live easy. It's non close beingness a 'wowser' in addition to demonising alcohol in addition to those who pick out to imbibe - it's close redressing the electrical flow imbalance in addition to acknowledging that it's okay if you lot don't.  Parents tin mail away brand a departure inwards this expanse if they set their heed to it. At the real least, it's worth a shot, peculiarly for those kids who don't desire to imbibe in addition to constantly experience similar something is incorrect alongside them because they don't fit inwards alongside what they run into every bit the 'social norm'! 

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