Alcohols Depiction In Movies

Peer pressure being common among young people and their friends, but how do movies influence a young persons use of alcohol?

Studies show that not only are characters that use drugs and alcohol portrayed as being attractive but also as romantic, aggressive, and hold a higher status in society than their non-drinking counterparts. Movies and television show alike glamorize the use of alcohol. That influence is subconsciously making young people increase their use of these substances. In a study done by The Medical Council on Alcohol and ESBRA, young people who viewed a movie where alcohol was present led to a higher overall alcohol consumption rate than those which depicted no alcohol use, “Results were straightforward and substantial: those in the condition with alcohol portrayal in movie and commercials drank on average 1.5 glasses more than those in the condition with no alcohol portrayal, within a period of 1 hour” (OxfordJournals). These studies found a direct link between the mass media and drinking levels of young people.

Other research studied different characteristics and compared and contrasted how drinkers and non-drinkers analyzed those characteristics. As you can see overall drinkers believed characters who used alcohol were more aggressive, attractive, friendlier, had higher economic status and had more romantic activity. All characteristics that young people wish to exude. This study also found that drinkers in movies are more attractive, which is obviously not a accurate interpretation of realty (Journal of Appplied Social Psychology).

The point of these studies was to show that the movies that many young people who watch anything from James Bond movies to 101 Dalmatians are shown alcohol, tobacco, and drug use. The saturation, and in many cases positive depiction, in movies may show young people that it is okay to drink.

Peer pressure is a common issue among young people, but it can be combated. Please read our article discussing ways in which to avoid peer pressure.

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-Maxwell Law

Help for Today. Hope For Tomorrow

For the last 27 years, April has been Alcohol Awareness Month. Started by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, AAM was founded to increase the public's awareness of alcohol, it's effect's, the stigma behind it, and people that suffer from alcohol abuse. Because alcoholism is treatable, NCADD has been working to help educate people, especially family members of those suffering from the disease, and end the stigmas surrounding alcohol abuse.

Because of the importance of AAM, we would like to link you to our most well received blog entry featuring the dangers of drinking.

If you or a family member is suffering from alcoholism or you suspect alcohol abuse please contact us for assistance. We offer professional screenings in our facilities from counselors and we can help determine the level of treatment required for you to become successful.

For more information please visit our website and to contact one of our counselors closest to you please see our locations page.

Alcohol Free Weekend!

April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and Alcohol-Free Weekend starts today! For this weekend try and stay alcohol free! Can you stay alcohol free for 72 hours?

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Dangers Behind Binge Drinking

Students in today’s schools are faced with some tough choices; they want good grades, they want to know which student club is the best to join, and they want to be popular. Succumbing to peer-pressure involving alcohol is commonplace in schools and can be very dangerous for teenagers.

Binge drinking is considered drinking 5 or more alcoholic drinks on one occasion or night. This is a serious issue among high school students as around 1/3 have admitted to binge drinking in the last two weeks. Not only is this an illegal practice, as the drinking age in the U.S. is 21, but also a dangerous one. Binge drinking damages not only your brain but it is also shown to have adverse effects on the stomach, liver and kidneys. Students’ bodies are still developing throughout high school so this can have many long term effects to growth and development.

Alcohol damages the body and it also has some other side effects that often aren’t considered. Dulling of the skin, sleep loss, embarrassing moments, and memory loss! Don’t forget about weight gain too. A typical shot (1 fluid oz.) of alcohol contains around 100-200 calories. Consuming alcohol like that during a binge will really add up. One of the most serious effects of binge drinking can be alcohol poisoning which if not dealt with properly and with medical attention, can cause death.

Alcohol poisoning symptoms from Mayo Clinic.

• Confusion, stupor
• Vomiting
• Seizures
• Slow breathing (less than eight breaths a minute)
• Irregular breathing (a gap of more than 10 seconds between breaths)
• Blue-tinged skin or pale skin
• Low body temperature (hypothermia)
• Unconsciousness ("passing out"), and can't be roused

 

 You must educate your kids about alcohol and binge drinking. The lack of education can cause many dreadful things to happen. Tell your children easy ways to say no to drugs and how to stray from peer-pressure. High school is tough these days, and a simple daily talk may just do the trick.

Stats on binge drinking:

“Binge drinking is a serious issue, almost 70,000 people died each year from 2001-2005 according to the CDC.”

“More teens are killed by alcohol than by all illegal drugs combined.”

“About 5,000 people under the age of 21 die each year as a result of underage drinking, 1,900 of those deaths are from auto accidents.”

“There are about 10.8 million underage drinkers in the United States.”

Comment below to let us know of creative ways to say no to drugs and as always don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

-Maxwell Law