Alcoholism among youngsters
1. Do young people in your environment drink alcoholic beverages?
2. What alcoholic drinks are typically consumed by young people?
3. What is the difference between an alcoholic and a social drinker?
Studies show that alcohol drinking by youngsters and adolescents is very common these days. Alcohol appears to be the most widely used drug and is believed to be the primary cause of fatal and non-fatal traffic accidents involving young drivers. It is also said to be linked to thousands of other tragic occurrences including injuries, suicides, drowning and crimes. The average age of youngsters who become addicted to alcohol has fallen during the past several years. Nowadays, young people become involved in substance abuse at a younger age than in previous decades. Statistically, 6 out of 10 youngsters aged between 11 and 15 have already tasted an alcoholic drink.
As many as 30% of the group admit to having drunk their first drink before the age of 11 years. Typically, the first alcoholic beverage to be tried in most cases is beer. About 40% of young people admit they started with sipping beer and then moved on to stronger alcohols. It is estimated that about 15% of young people regularly consume alcoholic beverages - at least once a week. The consumption increases significantly with age. At 15, 30% of boys and 15% of girls are regular alcohol consumers and between 18 and 24 years regular consumption is widespread. More than 20% of young drinkers have experienced intoxication at least once.
The statistics are alarming. Researchers believe that the problem of youngsters' alcoholism actually starts at home. Many young people copy their drinking parents' behaviour or even consume alcohol with them. Youngsters who begin drinking before the age of 15 are claimed to be perfect candidates for later alcohol abuse. Other factors contributing to increasing consumption of alcohol by youngsters are peer pressure - you have to drink to be cool - easier access to pubs, bars and off-licences, the relatively low cost of alcoholic beverages and relaxation of underage restrictions.
The problem of alcohol abuse among youngsters and adolescents cannot be ignored. The damaging impact of alcohol upon the lives of young people ranges from health damage to poor academic performance and disruptions in family life. It is the parents' role to become more vigilant and to reverse the trends that they themselves may have initiated.
Speak your mind.
1. Why do so many young people turn to drinking alcohol these days?
2. What is social drinking? Is it dangerous? When does it turn into an addiction?
3. How can alcohol addiction affect young people's lives?
4. Why do youngsters have easy access to alcoholic beverages?
5. Who is to blame for increasing alcohol abuse among youngsters?
Evictions
1. What is an eviction?
2. For what reasons are tenants usually evicted?
3. What happens to evicted tenants?
An eviction is a legal process in which tenants are ordered to move out of a rented flat or house.
Property owners are often faced with the unpleasant task of evicting tenants. However, they need to have a valid reason for eviction. The typical reasons are:
- non-payment of rent
- damage to the property
- breach of lease
– not vacating the premises at the end of the lease
Landlords or property owners may order tenants to vacate the premises if they refuse to move out after the term of the lease. If tenants fail to pay rent, landlords may take legal action against them. The breach of tease occurs when tenants violate some parts of the tease. They may ignore the "quiet time' hours or may rent the accommodation to someone else without the landlord's consent.
Landlords and property owners cannot evict tenants by putting their belongings on the pavement or by changing locks in the doors. An eviction must be supported by a legal court order and must be executed according to existing laws.
Some tenants may be persistent and refuse to move out. In such cases, the tenants are removed with the use of physical force, usually by the police.
Evictions, especially forced ones, cause a great stir in societies. They are often surrounded by controversy and are criticised by human rights activists. Evictions usually add even more bitterness to human misery, especially when whole destitute families are evicted and end up living in the streets.
1. Do evictions represent the right solution to the problem of troublesome tenants?
2. Is it correct to remove tenants by force and leave them 'in the street'?
3. Do you think that evictions are an example of violating human rights?
4. Where can evicted tenants seek help?
5. Why do so many people have problems with buying their own flats or houses?
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