Alcohol consumption and misuse is a complex topic in the U.S. and many other places across the world. Unlike illicit drugs like cocaine, alcohol is a legal substance that, for many, is a normal part of their social and cultural life. Thus, when drinking culture is deeply embedded in the fabric of life, how do you recognize warning signs for misuse?
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes, many problem drinkers do not show typical signs of alcohol dependence. Yet, most nondependent drinkers who misuse alcohol account for the majority of alcohol-related disability and death. Thus, looking at different types of alcohol misuse can give you insight into drinking culture. You can then better understand the impact drinking culture has on consumption rates and alcohol use disorder (AUD).
Difficulties with alcohol can be defined as alcohol misuse, binge drinking, and excessive drinking. Alcohol misuse occurs when people overconsume alcohol in a day. Women misuse alcohol when they consume more than one drink per day. Men misuse alcohol when they consume more than two drinks per day. Whereas binge drinking occurs when people consume a significant number of alcoholic beverages during a single occasion. Women binge drink when they consume four or more drinks on a single occasion. Men binge drink when they consume five or more drinks on a single occasion.
Then excessive drinking includes both heavy drinking and binge drinking. Not only does alcohol use increase the risk for AUD, but injury, disease, and death before AUD can develop. Moreover, unhealthy features in drinking culture can create an unhealthy environment. Through drinking culture, people begin misusing alcohol earlier in their life course. As the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) notes, 29.5 million people 12 years and older have AUD.
At Rancho Recovery, we are committed to providing a full continuum of treatment that addresses your individual needs and experiences. Through our holistic approach to care, we recognize that individual and cultural experiences all play a role in your challenges. Not acknowledging the impact of culture on well-being negates an important aspect of identity. Thus, to address what alcoholism is and provide person-centered treatment, we must address drinking culture. Further, increasing your understanding of the impact of drinking culture on your challenges with alcohol can help you break down unhealthy patterns for healing.
What Is Drinking Culture?
Much research around alcohol misuse and AUD is understandably focused on the impact of individual experiences. Understanding individual experiences and risk factors is vital to dismantling the root causes of substance use challenges. However, much like many elements of existence, the cultural norms and practices of society intersect with health and wellness. How you experience and perceive culture influences how you engage with others and the world. Therefore, drinking culture can have a profound impact on how much you drink. Moreover, drinking culture can also impact why you drink, when you drink, and who you drink alcohol with.
The Relationship Between Drinking Culture and Addiction
According to Alcohol Research: Current Reviews, alcohol use is influenced by an array of individual-level and population-level characteristics. Drinking culture is a reflection of the relationship between social determinants and health. By exploring the societal levels of drinking culture, you can better understand the cultural and societal factors of AUD. Listed below are some of the attitudes and norms surrounding drinking culture that influence individual attitudes and behaviors:
- Macro/Policy
- Advertisements and marketing
- Media helps influence social norms about alcohol
- Advertising, product placement, and stories in movies, television, and social media
- Targeted marketing influences positive beliefs about alcohol
- This leads to perceptions that see alcohol use as socially acceptable and encouraged
- Increases the onset of drinking, binge drinking, and increased alcohol consumption
- This leads to perceptions that see alcohol use as socially acceptable and encouraged
- Specific marketing and types of products like flavored alcoholic beverages increase youth and young adult consumption
- Media helps influence social norms about alcohol
- Advertisements and marketing
- Community
- Norms and attitudes regarding alcohol use
- Impacts current drinking and the frequency of heavy drinking
- Intersects with race and ethnicity
- African American or Black communities and Latinx hold more conservative attitudes toward drinking
- Conservative attitudes toward drinking are consistent with lower drinking rates
- White communities hold less conservative attitudes about drinking
- Differences in consumption between subgroups in different cultures highlight the importance of different cultural norms and beliefs about appropriate alcohol use
- Mexican-American and Puerto Rican men misuse alcohol at higher rates than Cuban Americans and Central and South American men
- Asian Americans experience lower rates of alcohol misuse compared to other ethnic groups
- Ethnic identity may promote stronger family values and traditional ties that align with lower drinking rates
- More Asian American youth have a high attachment to family and share their family’s negative attitudes toward drinking
- African American or Black communities and Latinx hold more conservative attitudes toward drinking
- Norms and attitudes regarding alcohol use
- Microsystem
- Family and home environments, school, and work
- Higher levels of alcohol use among parents and peers
- Increases alcohol use among youth and young adults
- More family support, bonding, and healthy parental supervision
- Lower levels of alcohol consumption
- Social support and a healthy support network
- Protective factors against overconsumption
- Peer pressure, peer alcohol norms, socializing with substance-using peers
- Associated with more alcohol misuse and binge drinking
- College drinking culture
- Increases exposure to alcohol and alcohol consumption
- Higher levels of alcohol use among parents and peers
- Family and home environments, school, and work
Looking at the influence of intersecting societal factors on drinking highlights the importance of cultural context for substance challenges. Insight into the societal and cultural factors of AUD helps you understand drinking culture in the context of your life.
Types of Sociocultural Drinking
There are a variety of situations and events that are predominated by drinking culture. Much of your social experiences from adolescence to adulthood are influenced by the socialization of alcohol. Some of the examples of drinking culture that permeate society include:
- College drinking culture
- There is a long tradition of drinking in college
- It has developed into cultures, beliefs, and customs that are intertwined in every level of college life
- The customs that formed from college drinking culture persist over generations as traditions are handed down and reinforced
- Convinces students that drinking and overconsumption of alcohol is a necessary part of the college experience for social relevance
- There are a variety of environments on and off campus that promote the college drinking culture
- Flyers and other advertisements for alcohol around college sports arenas
- Local establishments on and or near campus, like bars that cater to serving and or selling alcohol to college students
- Alumni events and social functions are built around opportunities to socialize and drink as
- Students are encouraged or pressured to drink by peers during dorm and or house parties
- There is a long tradition of drinking in college
- Holiday drinking culture
- Celebratory seasons are often associated with higher rates of alcohol consumption for multiple groups of people
- Drinking culture in the U.S. is most commonly associated with Christmas and New Year’s Eve
- The festive nature of the holiday season, coupled with an uptick in social gatherings, encourages drinking more than usual
- Men are more likely to overconsume and engage in risky behaviors during the holidays
- Women are more likely to experience heightened health risks due to lower tolerance for alcohol and overconsumption
- Adolescents and young adults are at an increased risk for alcohol-related harm during the holidays
- More likely to overconsume or binge drink due to inexperience with drinking
- Increase risk for accidents
- More likely to engage in risky behaviors
- Increase impaired judgment
- Establishing a pattern of alcohol misuse use at a younger age during the holiday increases the risk of persistent drinking issues
- Addiction
- Cognitive impairments
- More likely to overconsume or binge drink due to inexperience with drinking
- Binge drinking during a short period over the holidays can be hazardous to your health
- Impaired decision-making
- Risky sexual behavior
- Engaging in dangerous activities
- Injuries
- Increased risk for accidents, injuries, and developing AUD
- Alcohol poisoning
- Impaired decision-making
- Celebratory seasons are often associated with higher rates of alcohol consumption for multiple groups of people
Thus, the prevalence of drinking culture in every major part of life speaks to the far-reaching influence of alcohol on everyday life. Through increased awareness of the depth of drinking culture in society, you can address its impact on well-being.
Addressing the Impact of Drinking Culture on Well-Being
Drinking culture has a profound impact on the physical health and psychological well-being of young people. In a college setting, drinking culture increases young people’s risk for a variety of health issues and adverse experiences. According to the NIAAA, 49.0% of full-time college students between 18 and 22 consume alcohol in a given month. Moreover, approximately 28.9% of college students engaged in binge drinking in a given month.
Further, the binge drinking rate for some underage and of-age college students is higher than the defined standard. Some college students engage in high-intensity drinking, where they consume twice as much. The misuse of alcohol among college students can be associated with numerous factors. Many students feel stressed by living away from home and academic challenges.
In particular, social stress can be a major factor in the progression towards alcohol misuse among college students. The insecurities that come with trying to establish yourself in a new social environment, along with peer influence, open the door to alcohol as a well-known social lubricate. However, alcohol misuse comes with some devastating consequences:
- Around 1,519 college students between 18 and 24 die from unintentional alcohol-related injuries
- An estimated 696,000 students between 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student under the influence of alcohol
- Approximately one in five women in college experience sexual assault
- A majority of sexual assaults in college involve alcohol and other substances
- One in four college students miss classes and or get behind on their schoolwork due to excessive drinking
- Other consequences
- Driving under the influence (DUI)
- Further contact with the criminal justice system
- Unsafe sexual behaviors
- Health issues
Furthermore, issues with alcohol can also contribute to poor well-being during the holidays as well. The media often makes jokes about the nightmare trope of gathering with family over the holidays. There is the uncle or grandfather who only wants to talk about politics. Or the mom or aunt who keeps asking when you are going to get married. While everyone might not have a gruff dad or overbearing mom, reconnecting with relatives can be stressful.
There are many wonderful parts of the holiday season, but even making plans to organize activities for several people is overwhelming. Moreover, the holiday season can, unfortunately, be a time of psychological distress for different groups of people. As noted by the American Psychological Association (APA), the holidays can lead to heightened levels of tension and stress for individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community and individuals in recovery from AUD.
Regardless of the reason for tension with your family, the situation can leave you feeling anxious and depressed. The negative thoughts and feelings that come with anxiety and depression can make it easier to lean into self-medicating with alcohol to avoid those distressing emotions. In addition, the holiday season can be equally difficult in recovery, especially if your loved ones drink. Although you cannot eliminate drinking culture or prevent others from drinking at home or school, there are ways to build adaptive strategies to stay sober within heavy drinking culture environments.
Building Healthy Coping Strategies for Drinking Culture
Addressing the societal pressures of drinking in your life can feel understandably daunting. How do you combat an entire set of cultural norms that most people subscribe to? Despite the socialization of alcohol in everyday life, learning to cope in healthy ways is possible. Listed below are some ways that you can practice healthy ways to manage stress, social pressure, and sobriety in environments saturated with alcohol:
- Planning for the holidays
- Build a strategy plan for how to handle different situations during holiday events
- Include an exit strategy
- Reach for support from peers in your support group and supportive friends and family members
- Set up and maintain boundaries with loved ones
- Identify and avoid people and situations that trigger the desire to drink
- Advocate for your needs
- Request or bring non-alcoholic options with you
- Prioritize your self-care
- Get plenty of rest
- Maintain your routine
- Eat well
- Practice your coping strategies to manage stress
- Continue to learn and build on your adaptive coping strategies
- Build a strategy plan for how to handle different situations during holiday events
- Managing social pressures in college
- Recognize that you have the right to say no
- Set firm boundaries with others
- Ask for support in maintaining your sobriety
- Request others refrain from asking you to drink with them
- If possible, ask others if they can refrain from drinking in your presence
- Remove individuals who ignore or push your boundaries
- Be assertive when you say no
- Keep your response short and straight to the point
- No, thank you
- I’m not drinking now to be healthier
- Practice other ways to say no if being assertive is difficult
- You can build a script to help you practice saying no or find ways to safely exit the conversation and or situation
- Keep your response short and straight to the point
- Remember, you can always walk away
- Reach out to someone you trust for support
- Help you find other resources to avoid drinking pressures
- Find ways to change your environment
- Help you disconnect from unhealthy relationships and find mutually supportive ones
- Recognize that you have the right to say no
With more insight into how drinking culture impacts alcohol use, steps can be taken to address individual recovery needs.
Fostering Addiction Recovery at Rancho Recovery
At Rancho Recovery, we recognize that true healing cannot start without individualized care. With an individualized approach to care, you can find the guidance and support you need to take on alcohol treatment for lasting recovery. Through evidence-based treatments in an intimate six-bed luxury rehab, you can find the comfort and privacy you need to build resilience. Our commitment to holistic care gives you access to person-centered and family-focused services to support healing in mind, body, and spirit.
Here, at Rancho Recovery, family and spirituality are at the core of the work we do. Every part of you, your experiences, and your loved ones are vital to understanding the roots of your challenges. When you have access to whole-person care, there is space to meet you where you are and give you the necessary tools to heal.
You can explore a variety of services to find the right path to recovery. Whether you are just starting on your journey to recovery or you are looking for a little support, we are here for you. Taking that first step to remove alcohol from your life is one step closer to building an independent and fulfilling life in recovery.
Alcohol misuse and alcohol use disorder (AUD) have led to significant impairment in function and loss of life for countless young people. The dangers of drinking culture have increased the number of youth and young adults who misuse alcohol and binge drink. Through drinking culture, young people in alcohol-heavy environments like a college campus and holiday gatherings engage in consuming harmful levels of alcohol. The combination of social pressures, cultural norms, and life stressors, like living away from home and wanting to fit in, contribute to the influence of drinking culture on alcohol consumption and well-being. However, seeking support and engaging in adaptive coping mechanisms can support you in building tools for recovery. Call Rancho Recovery at (877) 484-1447 today.