Alcohol consumption among students : a Maltese perspective

Abstract

Alcohol has been around for generations, and as a result of cultural globalisation, it has become widely accepted by most societies. This social acceptance led to this psychoactive substance becoming practically ubiquitous. Many perceive it to be something which helps ease emotions and facilitate social interactions. However, the properties of alcohol are far reaching, and go way beyond this perception. It is for this reason that alcohol should be considered one of the deadliest drugs. However, it is widespread, legal, and easily obtained. This research set out to acquire information on whether Maltese students aged 18 years and over suffer from alcohol problems, while gaining an understanding about what guides their attitudes and choices to consume alcohol. Despite not the main scope of the research, attention was also given to the age of initial consumption, and whether these students have relatives who abuse of alcohol or drugs. In order to fulfil these aims, a quantitative approach was adopted through the use of questionnaires. After ensuring adherence to several ethical considerations, these questionnaires were distributed to students who were 18 years of age within 4 educational institutions. Findings showed that the majority consumed alcohol at a very early age, implying that these are at a heightened risk of health problems. Furthermore, 29 out of every 50 students suffer from an alcohol use disorder. Results further showed that gender and course were not a determining factor for different motives.