Alcoholics Anonymous Reviews

It is a Saturday night somewhere on the northern beaches and a group of girls are going through their weekly routine of preparing for a night out.

Like most gatherings of females, there is the usual talk of clothes and how cute each of them looks in their outfits, boys, work and make-up. In a well-rehearsed routine, clothes swapping and gossip is washed down with a few pre-pub bevvies.

One or two 20-somethings in the group are doing their best on a bottle of sauvignon blanc each, while the others make their way through an array of vodka-based mixed drinks.

The new Smirnoff Blacks with guarana are a favourite for those planning a big one, thanks to the equivalent of two standard drinks a bottle. Those pacing it stick to just a four-pack of the softer 5 per cent alcohol drinks.

Two drinks in and the lightweights start to get a bit loud as the alcohol becomes the first thing to hit their stomach since lunch after all, eating is cheating, because what's the point of filling up with food as it means you will have to drink more to get drunk?

After a couple of hours of this it ensures you are fashionably late enough to turn up to the pub about11pm. The girls on the wines have already finished, while the others take their final bottle from the four-pack to tide them over during the bus ride.

Just beating the girls to the bus stop is a group of guys who have ditched the make-up and clothes talk of the girls in favour of drinking and ragging on each other.

Like the girls, preparation for the pub requires a mix of different drinks. A staple is always a case of beer between two or a six-pack of bourbon or rum-based drinks. The youngest of the group, however, take the cheaper option and set about doing the goon-bag challenge drinking as much as possible of a cask wine or 'goon' in one scull.

On the road, the necessary evil of the bus is punctuated with drinking, smoking and a spew from the kid doing the goon challenge.

The spewing ignites a chain reaction as a girl gets some on her bag, a male suitor attempts to defend her honour by hitting the boy responsible for the spew and his mates retaliate.

The bus driver sometimes bothers to stop, but more often than not continues towards the pub as he is desperately outnumbered.

Off the bus and, after a quick pee in the bushes, the now-large group puts on their best straight walk in attempt to 'fool' the apathetic security guards at the door.

Despite most of them already consuming what experts say is the qualification for binge drinking, they head for the three-deep bar.

As a treat, a round of 'jager bombs' is bought first, then all start with their first of up to 10 official drinks for the night.

The boys head straight for the beers, but for the girls it's a spirit paradise, most favouring the pre-mixed Smirnoff Blacks with a touch of grenadine to give them a sugar high to keep them pepped up to help stem any passing out.

Four hours later, it is all over. Out of the original group of girls, one has thrown up, one has been kicked out for fighting, another passed out in the bathroom before her friends came to her rescue and one has hooked up with a guy who promises more booze back at his place.

A good night out, by all accounts. This scene and scenes like it are repeated across the northern beaches every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. It is not a one-off, but a night that is repeated so often that it is the norm and completely accepted. Those doing it don't see themselves as binge drinkers and they are far from alcoholics.

But it is scenes like this that are causing experts, authorities and politicians to scratch their heads and declare not only the existence of a binge-drinking problem, but also a cultural behaviour so endemic that we can't see the trees through the forest of empty bottles.

Northern Sydney Drug and Alcohol Service acting director Glenys Dore said attempts to warn teenagers about the dangers of alcohol were undercut by an image that it was cool to drink.

Parents also underestimated the influence they had and sent mixed messages either through their own consumption of alcohol, or in supplying it to their children.

'We're a culture that tends to glorify binge drinking and intoxication,' Dr Dore said. 'Parents are unfortunately role-modelling alcohol as part of their lives. They may not realise they are having an impact on their kids.'

Dr Dore said a recent survey of high school students showed that while tobacco and illicit drug use had dropped, alcohol consumption had risen, with more youngsters admitting to binge drinking.

Manly Drug Education and Counselling Centre health promotion co-ordinator Amanda Watkins said that parents had been crying out for help on binge drinking for years.

'Most of our counselling coming through now is from parents,' she said. 'Even if they can't get their young people to identify they've got a problem with alcohol, they come in and get support for themselves at home,' she said.

Many parents were confused or ignorant about alcohol, Ms Watkins. Some believed it was better to give alcohol to their children so they knew what they were drinking. Other parents would supply alcohol to their children to prove they were 'cool'.

Ms Watkins cited one local case, where parents put $1000 on the bar for young guests at an 18th birthday party, as an example of a lack of parental responsibility.'That sent a message that all this alcohol had to be drunk because it was there,' she said.

'Everyone is quick to blame kids because they're roaming drunk, but better understanding has to come from all over society not just what is taught in schools, but from parents and role models as well.'

The counselling centre has developed a program aimed squarely at teenagers, every year training 26 peer educators aged 15 to 17 about the risks of alcohol and drugs. Instead of the traditional 'thou shalt not' lectures offered by teachers and parents, peer educators are encouraged to share advice with friends and recognise the danger signs.

Daniel Bruce, 17, of Cromer, admits he has cut down his drinking since becoming an educator. 'In Year 8 I started getting people to buy drinks to take to a party. I had fun, I didn't see much harm in it,' he said.

'But I was surprised to find what the definition of binge drinking was when I did the program. It wasn't like I was getting so pissed I couldn't walk, but it was excessive.'

Cianne Scanlan, 17, of Warriewood, said she was realistic enough to know teenagers wanted to experiment but becoming a peer educator did not turn her into a wowser. 'Some people are always going to think you're a goody two shoes,' she said. 'Originally my friends laughed when I became an educator. But being an educator puts a duty of care on you. We've been given this information and know how to react.'

Both Daniel and Cianne believe as teenagers mature, they moderate their drinking. 'When you are younger [the attitude is] 'go out and get drunk' but now it is 'go out and socialise' and have a few drinks,' Daniel said.

Manly Mayor Peter Macdonald has long combated binge drinking and alcohol-related bad behaviour. The practising doctor believes issues with alcohol are far more prevalent on the northern beaches then other areas.

'Alcohol is the most used and most abused drug by young and old on the northern beaches,' Cr Macdonald said. 'It's a simple solution: reduce the availability of alcohol, and you'll reduce the problems associated with it.'

Manly Daily