Over the weekend, a drunken polytechnic student got arrested punching a paramedic who had been trying to help him.
Earlier last month, 19 year-old Claire Toh, fell down 4 floors from her flat when she was drunk, broke her neck, and fell into a coma.
Just two months ago, 20 year-old Isaac Tng, a Temasek Polytechnic graduate who had been serving his National Service, was found dead under his block after a night of heavy drinking.
These are only the latest in a recent string of unfortunate events concerning drunken Singaporean youths.
This worrying trend has given rise to sense of uneasiness in society. Forums have been rife with discussions about how this problem can be solved. Everything from banning alcohol completely to raising the legal drinking age has been touched on.
This video was made by the Health Promotion Board (HPB), in conjunction with their anti-binge drinking campaign (BreatheSg), two years ago. (Two more videos can be found at the end of the post)
Apparently, the campaign did not work too well.
This wave of anxiety was enough to trigger a new response from the Health Promotion Board (HPB).
According to a report by Today, HPB has made plans to partner up with up to six local clubs in its anti-binge drinking campaign, where their staff will be trained to identify excessive drinkers and persuade them to call it a night.
Lim Keat Xiong, a volunteer counselor for the Singapore Boys’ Home, feels that this problem should be solved with a bottom-up approach, instead of a top-down one that many older Singaporeans are suggesting.
“These youths are just looking for a fun night out, and need to know the harmful effects of alcohol. Putting bans and restrictions in place may serve to backfire, making these rebellious youths want to drink even more,” he says.
20 year-old Ben Hiew, who is currently serving his NS, was a good friend of Isaac’s. He agrees with Keat Xiong’s theory
“Several of my friends have been so scarred by this incident that they have quit drinking altogether. I personally have been drinking a lot less as well.”
It should not be the case, however, that youths only start to realize the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption when such a terrible incident happens.
A survey was done across 50 youths aged 18-23, regarding the binge drinking culture in Singaporean youths. 34 out of 50 respondents expressed that binge drinking is a problem that has to be tackled when kids are young.
20 year-old Jasper Ong goes for the occasional drinking session with his friends, but claims to know when to stop.
“I’m always sober enough to know my surroundings. I think it’s quite stupid to go all out and just get piss drunk, what’s the point in that? I guess it’s just a sense of self-control that I’ve always had,” he says.
Tan Ai Peng, mother of three youths aged 20, 23 and 25 separately, feels that it all boils down to the upbringing of the youths.
“I’m ok with my kids drinking, because I know that they are smart enough to know when to stop. I have walked around Clarke Quay on a Friday night before, and I am always certain that I will not see my kids there,” she says.
Threads about drunken youths, like this one, are very common on local news-site Stomp.
Generally, the majority of those surveyed and interviewed seem to agree that binge drinking can only be stopped by youths themselves. Keat Xiong feels he has seen enough to make sense of this dangerous trend.
He says: “It all boils down to the individual. If you are smart enough, you will know your limits. Binge drinking is a horrible thing, and will only stop when these youths realize themselves how bad it is.”
Here are the rest of the BreatheSg videos:
Written by Ryan Yuan for TP Sphere.
tpsphere.wordpress.com 