The Attitude of Youth to Alcohol: the Risk of Alcohol Dependence

Abstract

The purpose of this article is: to reveal the psychological aspects of some diseases, as a result of alcohol consumption; to describe the peculiarities of physical dependence in a way of alcoholic state; to make a scheme how alcoholism is developed; to describe the characteristic complications of binge drinking, such as white fever, alcoholic delirium; to model the degrees of intoxication; to provide the pilot research and to find out the attitude of youth to alcohol.

Methods of the research. The following theoretical methods of the research were used to solve the tasks formulated in the article: a categorical method, structural and functional methods, the methods of the analysis, systematization, modeling, generalization. The empirical method is a pilot research. The research was organized in Kyiv, Lviv, and Rivne. While researching the socio-demographic characteristics (age of respondents, their gender) were taken into account.

The results of the research. A clear correlation was found: the practice ofalcohol consumption was spread according to the age of respondents. Drinkssuch as beer, wine, vodka, cognac, whiskey, liqueur, moonshine, etc. have everbeen consumed by one of three 10-year-old respondents (36%), one in two11- and 12-year-olds (49% and 54%), 73% – 13-year-olds, 78% – 14-year-olds,85% – among boys and girls who were 15 years old. The share of young peopleat the age from 16 to 22 who drank alcohol is extremely high, ranging from 93%to 98%. Data on the age of the first case of alcohol consumption are indicative.For example, the largest share of respondents said that they had tasted beerfor the first time at the age of 10 – this group is 28%, and at the age of 16 andolder – 9% of respondents. The group of people who never drank alcohol is24%. “The acquaintance” with wine and spirits occurs mainly in adolescentsaged 13-16 years old and older (in particular, in the group of respondents inthe age of 10-14 years old, the experience of the first drinking, at least a glassof wine have 43% of respondents). Among all respondents, 31% and 43% ofones, respectively, never drank wine or spirits. Almost half (43%) of the youngergroup (10-14 years old) did not answer the question about the age of the firstbeer. Another 75% of respondents of the same age ignored the question aboutthe first use of spirits. Such a distribution may indicate a tendency of childrenand adolescents to secrecy, their bias against the confidentiality of individualanswers to questionnaires.

Conclusions. Chronic alcoholism or alcohol addiction is a disease in whicha person develops an incredible craving for alcohol, symptoms of asthenia andabstinence and other alcoholic disorders. The alcoholic is very depressed, he/sheis insecure, sometimes repents, scared. The character deteriorates sharply, sleepis short and superficial, he/she sees terrible dreams. At the same time, the body’sresistance to alcohol poisoning increases. At the stage of domestic drunkennessthe usual doses of alcoholism are no longer enough. Another sign of alcoholismis weakening of protective reflexes, such as vomiting, nausea, salivation. Hallucinations,acute psychosis and memory loss are observed with large doses ofalcohol. There is an unstable motive for the person’s behavior, the patient performsacts that are not the main characteristics of him/her before. In the past, asincere, merciful, a kind man becomes indifferent, immoral, angry. The alcoholiclacks focus. He/she never brings the case to the end.