After the Makaza tavern incident, the frightening truth was revealed about underage drinking in South Africa. However, has this incident really changed our youths behaviour towards drinking alcohol?
A recent study done by the Wits' School of Public Health showed that 12% of young people start drinking at the tender age of 13, and even before!
Statistics also showed that binge drinking has become a norm and is steadily increasing amoungst teen girls.
So, why do teenagers continue to use alcohol?
Underage drinking can be caused by a variety of reasons, lets take a look at the three most common reasons:
- Boredom & New Friends
Some teenagers have trouble concentrating on school work and finding genuine hobbies. They crave taking risks and don't want to be alone. So, alcohol can be used to keep them busy and look cool in-front of their friends.- Lack of Confidence
Some teens may try to get drunk before going to a party to give them the confidence to do things that they would otherwise not do.
- Rebellion
Alcohol is the drug of choice for teenagers because it frees or allows them to behave aggressively. This aggressive behaviour can be a display of rebelliousness and rejection of their parents and rules.
NICRO is committed to turning lives around - We encourage all South Africans not to stand back, but become involved either by donating a monthly amount, a once-off donation or look at the NICRO wish list for support in kind for around the country and see how you can assist.
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