Youth alcoholism and addiction – a serious problem

One only has to look at the Revenue growth of Distilleries Corporation and Ceylon Tobacco Company and the billions given to the state in taxes by them to know that the “mathata thitha” slogan of the Government is just that! like most of what they do ‘a mere slogan’. The volume of alcohol consumption is actually on the rise and so is that of tobacco. It is a more serious problem amongst young people, and I believe a growing problem NOT a lessening one. The fact the Govt. has failed miserably in this campaign is an indication that, either they are not serious and doing this merely for political smoke and mirror tricks or that they tried and failed miserably.

It is also becoming a serious community health issue, as the illnesses caused at a young age due to this abuse creates addicted people who need help out of addiction, putting severe stress on the limited resources we have at our disposal and related health issues of liver and lungs.

Further it is cool to be smoking especially at a young age, and it is even cooler to be drunk and pass out so that the next day your peers can explain how you were after you had passed out as if it is a right of passage to be proud of. This attitude needs to stop!

It can happen if the youth create a movement from within, not use outside assistance. If young people start a movement, then every one who makes a commitment to change their behavior in keeping with members of the movement, can by the small example mushroom into a rapidly expanding phenomenon where it is cool to be in it. If it takes off, there will be no one trying to undermine its spread, and all the tricks the tobacco and alcohol industry get up to can be deflected by the Youth of Sri Lanka.

I was approached by a 23yr guy, member of our youth movement the day before with this issue as being of paramount importance to him. He says that if this is not arrested now, our society will turn into a something quite irreversible and unsavory. Perhaps I should ask him to head this project and start it in small way at first getting him to gather his friends to make a pledge and go from there. No guesses as to where it could lead to and what changes in society we could make from a young man’s idea of an obvious documented problem facing young people, and most especially disillusioned young people of Sri Lanka Today!

PHOTOS OF DRUNKS