Have you ever stopped to think why you drink alcohol? Is it a social reason or do you enjoy the taste? Whatever the reason, if you’re looking to cut down on drinking alcohol it may be useful to work out why exactly it is that you drink.
Let’s look at a few of the possible reasons…
Past experiences with alcohol help to shape people’s current value and the expectations that they place on drinking alcohol. Alcohol users may recall their previous positive experiences with alcohol, and this may increase their motivation to drink. A negative experience will do the opposite.
People going through a stressful period in their life may value drinking alcohol more highly, because it helps to alleviate their negative feelings. The drinking removes, at least temporarily, the stress of anxiety.
Social norms are the behavioural expectations within a community. Alcohol is used at specific events and regular times for example, it is expected that alcohol would be served at most parties and weddings.
Exposure to alcohol-related cues increases the craving for alcohol, for example TV programmes, advertisements at events etc. On the other hand, financial influence, such as taxation, makes drinking less attractive. Evidence shows that simply raising the price of an alcoholic beverage by 10 percent reduces alcohol consumption by 7 percent.
This is a very simple reason. People drink because alcoholic drinks are quite accessible. In most families, drinking alcohol is a very common thing among adults. Alcohol is also readily available in most supermarkets.
Some drink alcohol to be a rebel. They want to defy the rules and show that they are different from all the others. This is often seen among youngsters especially teenagers who are in the process of growing up – the adolescence factor.
Peer pressure is one of the most prominent reasons for drinking among people of all categories. Being afraid that you might be isolated or discarded from a group of people and doing an activity. Teenagers especially are more vulnerable to being affected by this which can make them become addicted as they are being pressurised to drink more than they want.
People generally tend to drink alcohol in order to have fun. Being drunk makes them feel happy and “spirited,” and drinking alcohol with friends can be a fun experience. If people are nervous in social situations, drinking helps them relax and have more fun. People drink to have fun at parties, nightclubs, barbecues, and more, because they think alcohol enhances their experience.
Use the buttons below to be taken to our online test to work out if your drinking might be putting your health at risk, and to our ‘Know Your Units’ app page!
