Worrying phenomenon in Romania: 6 out of 10 high school students have drunk alcohol at least twice in the past 30 days
6 out of 10 high school students from Romania have drunk alcohol at least twice in the past 30 days, according to the National Institute for Public Health.
According to statistics, in June, when graduation ceremonies are organized, alcohol consumption increases significantly among students.
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An increasingly worrying phenomenon that can destroy destinies, alcohol consumption is associated with more than 200 diseases, according to doctors. It affects memory and the ability to make decisions.
Last weekend, two 8th grade students from Otopeni ended up in hospital from their graduation celebration intoxicated with alcohol. A friend put vodka in their glasses.
As the school year ends in June, more and more teenagers celebrate with alcohol. 6 out of 10 high school students in Romania have consumed alcohol at least twice in the last 30 days and more than two thirds have said they have drunk at least once.
Cristi almost lost his life due to alcohol. At the age of 9 he drank his first beer, at the age of 10 he got drunk for the first time and at the age of 19, he went into an alcoholic coma. He soon became addicted to alcohol, and then he began to take drugs.
Cristi: "I became an alcoholic. I was working as a waiter and, in the morning, to be able to hold the tray, I had to drink alcohol to be able to function normally. I used to drink a 200 ml bottle of vodka, throw it up and then drink another one so I could recover. I lost my health and had a few bouts of acute pancreatitis".
Iosif also faced alcohol addiction for many years, and now he is in a rehabilitation centre. He started with a beer at 16, and ended up drinking 5 bottles of wine a day.
Iosif: "Gradually, I started to increase my alcohol consumption, and I didn’t get buzzed so quickly. I blacked out at the age of 19, on New year’s Eve. I drank a lot, I mixed up the drinks and I woke up in the hospital with an IV".
According to a study of the World Health Organization, Romania ranks 4th in Europe regarding the consumption of alcohol among children aged 11 and 3rd among those aged 13. While boys were the ones who drank more alcohol, statistics show that girls catch up and, in some cases, even surpassing boys.
Alcohol consumption is associated with more than 200 diseases, decreased self-esteem, depression, anxiety and behavioural disorders.
Psychologist Mihai Copaceanu: "Children or adolescents drink alcohol, not only to fit in, to have more confidence, but also due to emotional reasons. Because they are sadder or more depressed. And there’s an association between the good mood you get when you consume alcohol, so they quickly turn to consumption".
According to statistics, alcohol consumption is associated with 3 million deaths each year globally. And nearly a third of deaths of 11-15-year-olds occur from alcohol-related road accidents.
Psychologists advise parents to tell teenagers openly about the consequences of drinking alcohol, not encourage them to drink in any context, and try to postpone this moment as long as possible.
