Dealing with alcoholism can be extremely challenging, especially at a young age. More and more younger people across the UK are experiencing problems with alcohol, subsequently finding that it seriously impacts them in later life. Many experts are putting the blame on the advertisement of alcohol that seems to be prevalent throughout the world, with many global music and sporting events using alcohol companies as their sponsors. A recent study has found that there is a link between youth exposure to alcohol and underage drinking, which is causing widespread concern among experts.

Evident Link

According to a recent study here in the UK and which was published in the journal Addiction, combining alcohol with sports can be extremely hazardous to health. The study was supported by Alcohol Research UK and the Institute of Alcohol Studies and insisted that there is an evident link between the exposure of youngsters to ‘extensive’ alcohol marketing and underage alcohol consumption. The researchers would ideally like to see the government imposing new legislation that regulates the advertisement of alcohol, including on social media sites and alcohol brand sponsorships of music and sports events.

Exposure

The researchers considered more than 100 separate studies and discovered that there was a noticeable link between exposure at a young age to the advertisement of alcohol at sporting events and an increased chance of underage drinking. They made the bold statement that the alcohol industry has not catered to the needs of, or protected, children from exposure to their advertisements. The chairperson of Alcohol Health Alliance UK said, “In the long run, all [alcohol] advertising and sponsorship should be prohibited. In the short term, alcohol advertising should only be permitted in newspapers and other adult press, and the content of these adverts should be limited to factual information about brand, provenance, and product strength.”

Debate

A spokesperson for the Portman Group, who are a company that represent overseas alcohol producers, has said that the alcohol industry will not give up without a fight. They said, “Regardless of the rise in online marketing channels, official U.K. government statistics show that underage drinking has fallen to the lowest levels ever recorded. Tackling underage drinking requires a combination of life skills education, strict enforcement on underage sales, and robust ID schemes – all of which are supported by drinks companies.”

Strain on Relationships

It can be extremely difficult for loved ones to deal with an addict if they have not had any previous experience with addiction. They may find this hard to take in and not know how to act around the addicted individual. This can put enormous strain on relationships and can result in these breaking down. The most upsetting part of all this is that, in many cases, the addict will not fully realise this until it is too late and the damage has been done. It can take years to rebuild once stable relationships in the aftermath of addiction.

Concerns

You may have concerns about a loved one’s alcohol addiction and are unsure of what steps to take in regards to getting them into recovery. If so, then contact us here at Recovery Lighthouse. Should you choose us for yours or your addicted loved one’s addiction treatment, we will do everything we can to ensure that you or they have the best chance at overcoming their addiction and moving on to lead a happy, sober life afterwards. If you would like further information or have any general enquiries about our clinic or the treatments we offer, do not hesitate to get in touch with us and we will answer any queries you have.

Source:

  1. Alcohol ads should be banned from sporting events, says study (FOX News)