As alcohol becomes more commonplace in the United States and a growing number of children are getting drunk, experts are debating why this is occurring. There are a couple of popular theories out there, but most agree that economic factors might be coming into play given the availability of cheap vodka compared to other liquors. Grape gatorade shot recipe is a great way to get the kids (or yourself) to drink healthy and fit in while still getting a buzz.
The consumption of alcohol is on the rise, with consumption rates among youth higher than the rates of adults. The reasons for this are varied (as are the solutions), and researchers have debated about what is happening for nigh on two decades now. Is it simply a consequence of greater availability? Or is it indicative of a deeper cultural change occurring? And what, if anything, should be done to correct these trends? Some researchers suggest that higher levels of alcohol consumption among youths might be “normalizing” some behaviors—like binge drinking—that were once considered deviant or problematic to begin with.
Reasons Why Are Children Getting Addicted To Vodka Shots Nowadays :
1. Lower Prices:
The price of alcohol has been declining steadily since the early 2000’s, with beer and wine prices falling by over 35%. According to researchers David Hanson and Victor Ishay, the increasing affordability of liquor will cause the prevalence of heavy drinkers to increase. The same goes for youths who are more likely to be heavy drinkers.
This “cheap date” phenomenon is not limited to just young people—it also extends to adults as well. There seems to be something culturally changing on how Americans are drinking—especially as it pertains to food pairings.
2. Food Pairings:
The rise of vodka is curious when one considers this disturbing trend. Why are youths drinking more vodka these days? The answer might be that they’re pairing it with other things besides soda, like fruit juice or gatorade. The consumption of cheap alcohol has been rising ever since the 1970’s, but there has also been a steady growth in the consumption of food during this same period as well. In an experiment involving two groups of subjects, researchers found that subjects who drank alcohol mixed with orange juice reported being less intoxicated than those who had mixed spirits and water (in case you were wondering, both groups were equally impaired).
Researchers have termed this phenomenon “food pairing.” The growth in the consumption of sugary beverages has been a major influence on increased sugar-related problems among children as well. The fact that fruit juice is considered a food product and can be consumed with liquor will likely discourage youths from being abstinent, which may contribute to heavier drinking patterns among them.
3. Increased Alcohol Intakes:
Another factor that researchers believe is at play is how much alcohol is being consumed overall. It would seem to make sense that increased availability implies increased use and abuse, but there are studies that show just the opposite might be occurring. In their study of the “culture of calorie restriction,” researchers found that those who avoided or limited their calories consumed less alcohol.
In another study involving 1,700 young adults, researchers found that increased levels of fruit and vegetable intakes was associated with decreased alcohol use. This is not to say that food causes you not to drink. Instead, it could be the opposite—that drinking causes you to eat less or even binge less.
4. The Entertainment Factor:
What about the role played by the entertainment industry and sports? Do popular musicians and television shows have a direct influence on young people’s drinking habits? One study conducted among 2,400 middle school students found that youngsters who consumed media products with positive references to alcohol were more likely to be heavy drinkers as opposed to those who didn’t consume such media products.
Another study found that adolescent heavy drinkers report having more frequent consumption of media with drinking content than do parents of young heavy drinkers. So it would seem that popular music and television programming plays a role in increasing alcohol use among our youth.
5. The “Cheap Date” Trend:
In addition to the previous factors playing a role, alcohol consumption patterns might also be influenced by cultural trends or consumer needs for “low cost” or “cheap date” alternatives. In Australia where pub-crawling was once a popular pastime, cheap beer became the norm (and is still today). This trend spread to the United States and became popular among young people. “Cheap date” has also been gaining popularity in the U.S., where gourmet cupcakes and fancy lattes have become staples of the culture.
Researchers at Cornell University found that gourmet foods are much more expensive than they used to be, with certain items such as avocados costing upwards of $8 each. They found that a pair of avocados—the staple ingredient in almost every quesadilla—was only $2.09 when compared to what it was twenty years ago.
