Fact and fiction of underage drinking

A lot has been said in the media about underage drinking. While it is true that underage drinking is a cause for concern, some are making the wrong conclusion.

It is a fact that the findings of the Espad survey reveal that in Malta over 90 per cent of persons aged between 15 and 16 have consumed alcoholic beverages and that this places Malta the first on the list among the countries surveyed.

This shows that in this respect Malta shares characteristics similar to those in other countries, mainly in the Mediterranean, where persons are exposed to alcoholic beverages at an early age.

However, the Espad survey includes results to other questions that would also have to be considered if one is to give a true picture of the situation in Malta among this age group relative to that in other countries.

For example, the same survey reveals that, when asked whether they had been drunk more than 20 times in a lifetime, Malta ranks among the countries with the least incidence of drunkenness.

The average for Malta is in fact four per cent, whereas the figure for Denmark is 41 per cent, the UK 29 per cent, Finland 28 per cent, Ireland 25 per cent and Sweden 19 per cent.

Other results reveal that the proportion of students who reported being drunk 10 times or more over the last 12 months is dramatically higher in other countries than it is in Malta. In Malta, four per cent responded that they have been drunk more than 10 times in the last 12 months. In Denmark, the percentage is 39 per cent, Finland 29 per cent, the UK 28 per cent, Ireland 27 per cent and Sweden 18 per cent.

This discrepancy applies also to other Mediterranean countries. Italy also has a high percentage of young persons who consume alcohol but also ranks among the countries with the least incidence of drunkenness. The same applies to Cyprus.

This shows that selective reporting of survey results can give a dramatically distorted picture of the situation which can create an unnecessary state of alarm.

I quote from the conclusions of the Espad 1999 survey: "A vast majority of students in Malta had been drinking alcohol during the previous 12 months (91 compared to the average 83 per cent). In contrast, the proportions reporting drunkenness during the same period is less than average (39 per cent vs 52 per cent)".

The Espad results also conclude that Maltese youths have experienced fewer alcohol-related problems on average than other countries. The high-problem countries are mainly Nordic countries and the British Isles.

Therefore, such statements as "Malta has the highest consumption of alcohol among teenagers", or "Malta has the biggest underage alcohol problem" are completely unfounded if the data is interpreted in an objective manner. There seems to be a sense of over-enthusiasm from some quarters to sensationalise the issue.

The figures also show that cross national comparisons have to be approached with caution. I recently listened to a presentation by an Irish sociologist, Shane Butler, who addressed a seminar by the Ghaqda Genituri.

Dr Butler spoke about the situation in Ireland regarding underage drinking. The figures clearly show that, although in Malta a higher percentage of 15- and 16-year-olds may have consumed alcoholic beverages than in Ireland, the patterns of consumption are radically different.

It is also important to note that the overall per capita consumption of alcohol in Ireland is almost twice that of Malta. Therefore, one cannot juxtapose policies and measures that have been applied in Ireland to the Maltese context.

Incidentally, the countries mentioned above, which have such a high incidence of drunkenness, all have a higher minimum drinking age than we have in Malta, which shows that such measures are as difficult to enforce in other countries as they are in Malta.

Another statement focused on the finding that the Maltese have their first drink at home, which is seen to be a cause for concern.

I do find these results surprising. I remember that my first exposure to an alcoholic beverage was on the day of my first Holy Communion, at the age of six. My grandmother, God bless her soul, gave me a tot of vermouth as part of the celebration. My grandmother had all the good intentions in the world, and the message that was put across that day, though not stated in words, was that the occasion was a step towards a higher stage of maturity.

I used to be given another tot of vermouth on my birthday from then onwards, nothing in between. Many people in Malta are introduced to drinking in a similar manner, and this practice has been ingrained in our culture for generations. This is why in the Mediterranean there is a greater tendency for moderate drinking habits than that which exists in Nordic countries.

In multicultural countries, like the United States, the Latin segment of the population is exposed to alcoholic beverages at home at a much earlier age than the Protestant segment. However, the Protestants have a much stronger inclination to experience alcohol-related problems in their adulthood than the Hispanics and the Italians.

Clearly, there has to be a distinction between responsible inculcation and situations where some irresponsible parents admire their children getting drunk during village feasts, and even offer them drinks themselves.

It is an undeniable fact that in Malta we do have a problem with underage drinking which can only be properly addressed by the stakeholders involved through an objective approach with no hidden agendas.

The industry has to be responsible in its promotion and distribution, parents need to be more in control of their children and government agencies should understand that demonisation of alcoholic beverages is counterproductive.

However difficult law enforcement is, it should be stepped up. If the current legislation has loopholes, let us remove them.

There are emerging patterns of consumption of alcoholic beverages, for example, binge drinking and irresponsible trading practices, that are rightfully drawing the attention of pressure groups like the Ghaqda Genituri.

I am confident that, through a collective effort, there will definitely be an improvement in the situation.

Mr Farrugia is chief executive, The Sense Group.