Cracking The Bar Code

A recent ASSOCHAM Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India survey has found that alcohol consumption has shot up dramatically among Indian teenagers between 15 and 19 years of age,with one-third of all teenagers having their first alcoholic drink before they enter college. Students spend Rs 3,500-4,500 on alcohol every year,which is more than what they spend on soft drinks and beverages like tea,milk,coffee,or on movie tickets and books combined,it notes. Of the teens surveyed who admitted to drinking,46 per cent said they drink to get high,32 per cent said they drink when they are upset,18 per cent said they drink alone and 15 per cent said they drink when they are bored. The report cites high disposable incomes,lack of parental supervision,westernisation,rising rate of stress and depression,and peer pressure as reasons for early drinking. Low pricing,a lack of standardised proof of age and poor enforcement make it easy for unscrupulous retailers to sell to underage kids, it says.

In Bangalore in particular,Indias pub city,teen turnout at bars has become a common affair. Be it a bar on MG Road with its promise of chilled beer and latest hip hop music,or a cheap pub on St Marks Road where you can get a pitcher of watered-down beer for the cost of a vodka shot,or Brigade Roads dingy tributes to rock and roll,the citys central district is a drinkers paradise,more so for underage youths. Happy Hours at these bars start as early as 10.30 am and go on till 5 pm. Its no coincidence that these are college hours. With the law preventing bars from staying open after 11.30 pm,bars are trying to make some extra bucks during the day, says a former bar-owner on conditions of anonymity. There are two kinds of young people those who want to blow their pocket money on drinks because its fashionable to do so; and those who want to drink but are strapped for cash. Either way,youngsters spend at least Rs 400 on drinks per outing, he says.

Teen drinking is a growing concern,admits Carlton Braganza,who runs Opus,a restaurant and lounge on Palace Road. Ours is a family-oriented establishment,but teens do drop in. Our waiters are instructed not to serve alcohol to anyone who appears underage, he says. Other bar and lounge owners say recent police raids have prompted them to be stricter while checking identification documents. While most bars flaunt the customary warning outside that says under-21 customers won8217;t be entertained after 7 pm,for the greater part these have become mere tokenism.

While bars seem the obvious culprit,retail outlets supermarkets and standalone liquor stores in malls too contribute to the spurt in teen drinking because of their accessibility. Age verification is rarely done and they can walk away with their purchases without a hitch. Even cafes,including popular teen hangouts like Mocha and Café Pascucci,serve wine,making it that much easier for teens to get access to alcohol.

At Oktoberfest in Bangalore,an annual beer-and-music festival held at the Karnataka Trade Promotion Organisation grounds in Whitefield last weekend,the beer taps served many a teen posing as adults. Rohan and Ishan names changed were among those who got lucky. Munching on sausages and downing draught beer under a yellow moon,Rohan,a student of architecture,shouts over the live jazz music that fills the air. Yes,were 19. We are adults, he says,even as Ishan slinks away,indicating he doesnt want to get into trouble. At teen parties,alcohol is now a given. Beer is the favourite,vodka is for special occasions,when you want to go back home after the party and not smell of drink, says a source familiar with the city8217;s party scene.

It is often the parents who are responsible for their childrens drinking habits. I have had parents come in and demand that their underage sons be served beer, says a city restaurateur. Hari name changed,a class 12 student at an international school off Sarjapur Road on the outskirts of the city,is one such teen drinker. The only son of a businessman,Hari had his first drink a Bloody Mary at the age of 11 at his parents anniversary party. In our social circle,it is normal for a guy to drink at 15 or 16, says Hari,now 17. An aspiring actor,he finally gave up alcohol about a year ago after he realised it was affecting his grades at school. At first,it started as social drinking. Then I began drinking at home,sometimes with my buddies. I took to whisky and vodka very quickly,and Id pour myself a drink after school every day, says the lanky lad who admits to skipping meals to have a drink instead,to avoid putting on weight. Its called drunkorexia, says Hari,who learned the term from his therapist-cum-trainer,who finally hauled him out of his alcohol addiction.

A longtime member of the Bangalore chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous says that the support group,which holds meetings across the city every day,now has a handful of teenage alcoholics under its wing. Most of them started at the age of 10 or 11,and were full-blown addicts by 15. Its good that they have sought help, he says,adding that much of the increase in alcohol consumption among teens can be attributed to curiosity and changing social values.

Recent scientific studies have revealed a disturbing correlation between teenage alcohol consumption and decline in attention and memory. Just last year,a University of California,San Diego,study found that alcohol can damage the normal development of a teenagers brain cells in areas integral to judgement,critical thinking and memory. The study,like others before it,also found that children of parents who completely disapproved of teen drinking were less likely to engage in underage drinking.

Ravi doesnt agree. My parents dont know I drink and they wont understand why I do so. Times have changed and everything now starts early. There is a lot of stress we handle as teenagers. Whats so bad about drinking a few beers with your friends after school? he says.