The alcohol It is the leading cause of death in the world, its consumption is widespread and increasing among young and very young peopleThe most recent studies report a growing phenomenon among women and portray a heterogeneous, fragmented, and inhomogeneous reality. The causes of alcohol abuse are difficult to trace back to fixed variables. The sociologist Guerino, in his "Alcohol and youthful style. A sociological interpretation.“, tries to trace the causes, patterns, meanings of alcohol use and abuse, giving a lucid and clear interpretation of what is undoubtedly a total social fact, which therefore involves both the private and individual sphere, as well as a collective dimension.
A cultural phenomenon
Alcohol is defined as a " mimetic drug ," as it is also food, culture, economic factor, cultural behavior, and drug. Drinking alcohol has been a part of society since ancient times: art and literature have told us about its use and abuse for centuries, its connotations as a purely cultural and traditional phenomenon, even a religious or pagan practice , or even as an indirect stimulus to valor on the battlefield. Getting drunk before a fight was not uncommon. The sociologist examines young people's approach to alcohol in relation to phenomena such as " binge drinking " or " botellon ," which deviate from the socially represented model of alcohol consumption. Binge drinking consists of consuming large quantities of alcohol in a short period of time. We could call them alcoholic binges, and their purpose is to get high in a few minutes, making the practice a way to speed up what is considered just another way of having fun. Young people even engage in actual competitions. Whoever drinks the most in the shortest time wins. Botellon originates from Spain; the term means "bottle" and evokes moments of conviviality outdoors, linked to the consumption of alcohol. Young people gather in alleys, streets, and squares and drink. They drink together, often making a rowdy noise. The phenomenon arose to curb the excessive cost of alcoholic beverages in bars, pubs, and nightclubs. Drinking on the streets, freely, until dawn, without rules or prohibitions.
Models to follow
Alcohol among young people takes on a communicative dimension, a form of language that allows them to unleash desires often repressed in models unsuited to their inclinations. Alcohol allows them to mask mistakes and shortcomings, helps them reveal their true self, and contributes to the construction of an identity other than the ego. This is why, in discussing young people, alcoholism, and drugs, the scope of discussion and study also delves into microsociology, and all those forms of social adaptation that each individual faces within themselves, to give coherence and structure to their target of meanings. This is why it is not possible to provide immediately effective solutions to combat the phenomenon. This is why social policies have often failed . Prohibitionist models have failed : the American one of the early twentieth century is the most classic example. And it failed because it sought to target everyone, indiscriminately, without criteria or objective, forgetting the socioeconomic context and its complexity. The regulated control model is more targeted , affecting the cost of alcohol, its distribution and administration, and the rules for its consumption in designated places and within specific times. The " guided information " educational model, on the other hand, focuses on education. This contextual model cannot be universally adapted to different contexts.
Functional equivalents
Communication and information can be top-down or peer-to-peer . These two macro-categories differ in their method, context, and source. In the first case, top-down , information is conveyed by institutions that transcend youth, such as school or family; in the second, peer-to-peer , we're talking about targets closer to the cultural model of young people, a trusting and trustworthy proximity to similar and coherent languages in a world often distant from that of adults. The conceptual basis of this model is to make knowledge the strength. Knowing and spreading knowledge about the effects of alcohol, its repercussions on health or beauty, and the often dramatic consequences that emerge after an evening of heavy drinking. And the messages are received because they are carried by positive social interactions , such as those found in relationships with parents or friends, or through role models that inspire admiration and a desire to emulate them. Talking about " functional equivalents ," on the other hand, means no longer informing but rather removing alcohol from the interests of young people , channeling their attention and engagement to activities that are equally interesting, equally enjoyable, and equally catalysts of passion and pleasure. Society doesn't always provide functional equivalents. Young people often suffer from boredom and lack of stimulation . And the causes can be multiple and different, depending on the context in which they live and grow up. Sport is a functional equivalent that simplifies the concept well.
Concrete policies
Beyond the models formally identified by the scientific community, social policies have long been questioning possible solutions, the scope of application for this or that proposal, the potential recipients, and the stakeholders to involve. And it is difficult, if not impossible, to provide models that apply always and for everyone. Planning concrete, implementable, and impactful policies requires the efforts of professionals often lacking in government and agency staff, underestimating the essential role of psychologists , sociologists , and educators . A comprehensive vision that can provide answers to a fluid society, with blurred, uncertain, and increasingly invisible contours. Young people's emotions and actions are dominated by vibrations that rigid and outdated approaches fail to capture. Adapting to complex and difficult-to-read contexts, having to navigate new and ever-evolving languages, sharpens individual fragilities and exacerbates the unpredictable consciousness of the masses. A reallocation of responsibilities and functions is more urgent than ever, at every institutional level, a redistribution of ideas based on data and studies. Politics and science, in a balanced interpenetration of knowledge, free from behind-the-scenes, electoral, or purely economic interests, placing the well-being and health of citizens at the center, as the drivers of an overall improvement in society and the construction of a better future than can be imagined today.
Simona Vitali
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