The author examines how drinking among young people is influenced by many different factors, at both individual and collective levels. At the heart of a ternary approach – trans-disciplinary, ecological and synergistic – is the complexity of this interaction. Alcohol is as ancient as humanity; drinking is a multidimensional, polysemic behaviour, which requires a wider rather than narrower approach. None of the contributing factors presented within this book operate in isolation. Genes interact with other genes, our biological heritage interacts with our affective history, our parents interact with our peers, our peer influences interact with the culture of the country we live in, and so on. It is the complex interaction of these factors that significantly increases stress and alcohol consumption in young people. Targeting younger teenagers who are most at risk of alcohol misuse could improve the efficiency of prevention. From the density of outlets in metropolitan areas, to the psychoanalysis of the consequences of the motherchild affective relationship and the anthropology of social perceptions of drinking, the issues surrounding alcohol merit serious thought. (Author/publisher)
Abstract