Is AISG Sober or Tipsy?

Alcohol is the main ingredient of many teen hangouts or parties. Some young people feel that it animates the atmosphere. At such events, you will find people exhibiting different levels of tipsiness: some on the ground, some in the bathroom embracing the toilet, and some calling their ex in a burst of romantic sentiment. Surprisingly, these scenes are also evident at some gatherings organized by AISG students.

In China, it’s relatively easy to purchase alcohol in convenience stores without having your age checked. Teenagers can exit stores with a six-pack of beer or a bottle of wine in their hand just as easy as adults can. Since January 2010, China has prohibited selling, serving, or offering any form of distilled alcohol to those under 18, or any alcoholic drink to those under 16. However, the new law is not widely enforced. For better or for worse, this is the reality in China.

As AISG is located in China, the question is: does AISG drink?

To discover how prevalent drinking is in our school, I interviewed several students anonymously. In one interview, a student commented that she has tried drinking but did not enjoy it because of its bitter taste. She was well aware of the drinking age in China, which also contributes to her attitude. The last time she tasted alcohol was at least six months ago. However, another student expressed jubilance when it came to alcohol. He drinks once every two weeks and thinks drinking is a great idea for family occasions or to have fun with his friends. He added that drinking helps him relax and allows him to have more fun. Unlike the previous student, he was very open-minded about drinking as he viewed drinking to be a part of Western culture. However, there were numerous students firmly against the idea of drinking.

Throughout an interview with another student who had never tasted alcohol, she expressed sheer disgust toward drinking. She claimed to have witnessed too many people making foolish decisions under the influence of alcohol, which has made her not want to drink. According to her, after excessive consumption of alcohol, people become so careless and stupid that they frequently end up losing their phones or being unable to find their way back home. Viewing such disasters, she decided to refrain from even drinking a sip of alcohol until she learns how to drink moderately.

The interviews did not only encompass students who currently attend AISG, but also alumni. An alumnus who graduated recently mentioned that he currently drinks three to four times a week with his friends. When asked why he drinks, he answered enthusiastically that he drinks to socialize, and because he doesn’t want to miss the fun with his friends by being the only sober one. He admitted that some peer pressure is involved when it comes to drinking. Lastly, he insisted that high school students should try to minimize alcohol consumption because when they matriculate in university, they will inevitably drink, and they may as well wait.

To learn more about how widespread drinking is in AISG, I created a short survey, to which 67 students responded. The survey yielded interesting numbers and responses. 57% of the 67 claimed to drink, while 43% claimed they do not. 33% of the 29 students who do drink alcohol drink once a month, and 23% drink once every two weeks. Surprisingly, 4 students (13%) claimed to drink once every week. Regarding venue, 60% of the answers were parties or hangouts, 73% were restaurants and 53% were at home (multiple answers were allowed for this question).

There were various interesting answers to the question of why students don’t drink. Students commented that drinking is unhealthy and could potentially cause huge health consequences. Many were aware of the negative side of alcohol and how addictive it can be, and also knew that young, partially-developed brains are more susceptible to its dangerous effects. Some simply did not like the taste of alcohol. On the other hand, regarding why students do drink, some mentioned relieving stress, and others cited having fun with their friends. A few answers stood out. One student commented that drinking to him or her is a way to escape from a miserable life. Some students attributed their drinking to peer pressure, and some regarded drinking as a cultural activity. One student commented that he or she believes that he or she should start drinking when s/he can take full responsibility for his or her actions, where age is not the deciding factor for him or her, but responsibility and maturity are.

57% of the respondents perceive drinking to be an unavoidable and natural part of high school culture (at any high school, not just AISG). The remaining 43% disagree and believe that high school drinking is a serious problem that should be stopped. As to whether there is peer pressure on AISG students to drink, answers varied. Some students claimed that AISG is such an academically demanding school that students simply do not have time to think about drinking. However, one student described being forced to drink by AISG peers until s/he threw up. A few students had strong opinions regarding the presence of alcohol on campus, but when assessing the survey results as a whole (see link below), not many respondents had seen evidence of alcohol-related incidents at Science Park.

Alcohol is often regarded negatively. However, it may be that the true villain is not alcohol alone, but binge drinking — drinking lots of alcohol in a short time, primarily to get drunk. Moderate drinking has a range of effects both physically and socially, and some of these are positive. Some experts claim that moderate alcohol use reduces the chance of developing and dying from heart disease and diabetes (source). Additionally, based on research, it seems to reduce the risk of ischemic stroke, which is a stroke where the arteries to the brain become narrow or blocked, keeping the blood from flowing into the brain. Alcohol may have its benefits; however, it is recommended that the safest idea for teenagers is to completely avoid drinking, as those benefits do not appear to outweigh the potential risks.

Drinking becomes a larger issue when the word “binge” is added. Moderate alcohol consumption is the ideal method; however, it is very hard to maintain. Once a person begins drinking, his or her brain releases a chemical called dopamine, and the craving for more dopamine results in binge drinking. Furthermore, low levels of dopamine and serotonin can trigger compulsive behavior like binging (source). As many can attest, binge drinking has devastating effects on health, as it is associated with high blood pressure, liver disease and other heart-related diseases (source). Additionally, binge-drinking will increase the possibility for a person to become alcoholic and depend on alcohol, treating alcohol as a sanctuary from what seems to be a harsh reality.

After conducting interviews and surveys, my conclusion is that AISG is more tipsy than sober. As you read this article, if you find yourself consistently relying on alcohol and drinking excessively, whatever the reason may be, please consult a trusted adult immediately. And please don’t drink to make yourself seem cool—the habit can easily spiral out of control.

For more information, please visit Mayo Clinic, Drug Free World, Drinkaware and Greatist.

For those who are interested in viewing the full survey results, please visit SurveyMonkey.