Politicians often associate the term 'binge drinking' with yobs, criminals and anti-social behaviour. The governments also appear to concentrate more on drinking laws like extending pub licensing and creating minimum prices for alcohol rather than the reasons behind why people are drinking more today.
According to the charity Alcohol Concern almost one in three men and nearly one in five women are consuming too much alcohol and this includes a growing percentage of young professionals and university graduates.
Young people decide to go to university on the promise that at the end of four years of arduous labour, there is a pot of honey offering a salary of eighteen thousand plus with a reputable company where their new skills and knowledge can be put into practise. Disillusionment However, the reality is much to the contrary.
Increasing numbers of graduates all over the country are returning home simply to resume their original lives.
They are living back in the parental home because first time buying has been made virtually impossible by rocketing house prices, and stuck in low-salary administrative positions due to a lack of jobs in the UK.
 I heard my graduate friends saying "I was SO drunk last night" on no less than four consecutive mornings.
 | | Nicola Earby |
One of the effects of the disillusionment of young graduates is an increase in their alcohol consumption as a method of enjoyment and escape from everyday dissatisfaction and banality.
What starts off as a regular Saturday night out becomes a drink after work every day and a big drinking session at least three times a week.
After all, Monday is student night in Cheltenham, Wednesday is student night in Gloucester and Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday night are perfect opportunities to socialise with friends and forget that yet another Friday is disappearing and Monday is on its way. Drinking sessions According to Alcohol Concern 'binge drinking' is drinking until you are drunk.
Only this week I heard several of my graduate friends saying "I was SO drunk last night" on no less than four consecutive mornings.
The health issues are obvious. Daily drinking means that the body gets accustomed to alcohol and needs more and more in order to reach that drunken level.
Not to mention the fact that the Department of Health advises people to avoid drink for 48 hours after an episode of drunkeness, to give their bodies time to convalesce.
The issue of graduates becoming increasingly involved in binge drinking culture is something that needs to be recognised by today's politicians and the media.
People need to realise that drinking excessively should not be stereotyped and just linked to aggressive or anti-social behaviour.
Many graduates and professionals consider drinking an effective everyday means of unwinding. However, many now seem to be worryingly dependant upon it. By Nicola Earby
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Binge drinking is often associated with a stereotypical 'yob' image. But Nicola Earby thinks that many of her fellow graduates are using alcohol to help them cope with career blues.
