Alex A – Interview 08
When Alex was 15, he and his Dad started sharing the odd beer together. His dad was trying to teach him to drink sensibly. He thinks that young people drink so much in the UK because alcohol is cheap, and that there is not nearly enough information about the health risks of drinking.
The first time Alex tasted alcohol was when his father offered him a beer after dinner when he was about fifteen. From then on they would sharea beer together every two weeks or so. He explained that his dad was trying to teach him to drink sensibly and not to go crazy’ about it when he was out with friends. Alex describes his fatheras drinking very little’. In his household, drinking alcohol is mainly reserved for special occasions. Even his older stepsister, who is at university, drinks very little. Alex doesn’t drink very much himselfbecause he works weekends in a bar and studies full-time so there are not that many free evenings for him to go out with his friends. Hesays that when he does go out, he tends to drink a lot. He recently got his driving license and his friends often rely on him to drive them back home.
Alex says that everybody binge’ drinks at particular times. For him, it’s atmusic festivals, when he tends to drink a lot. He says that alcohol helps him relax andbecome chattier. He feels more confident when meeting girls. He describes himself as a happy drunk’. But drinking too much has also ruined his plans in the past. He remembers a particular music festival when he started drinking at 8 am and passed out by 1 pm, missing all the bands that day! He is aware that he could have been robbed that day and sees the importance of being in a group of friends who look after one another. He feels more vulnerable when he is working as a barman, particularly when drunk people become violent or start fights.
Alex thinks young people drink so much in the UK because alcohol is cheap, with special offers in supermarkets etc. He also thinksthat there isn’t enough information about the health risks of drinking too much alcohol. There is more information about the risks associated with smoking. His parents are his main source of information when it comes to alcohol, but says that he got most of information about drugs from school. He found it especially useful to take part indiscussions and hearfrom people who had drug addiction problems.
Alexdoesn’t have any interest in trying drugs. He has been offered drugs, particularly at music festivals by strangers, but he has refused them. None of his friends do drugs and he thinks that helps because he has never felt under pressure to try any of them.