Beliefs, values, practices and social behavior contribute to the cultural factors of alcoholism. Although genetics influence the drinking of many alcoholics, for other alcoholics, there is no such link. Rather, some people grow up surrounded by cultural factors that increase their risks of becoming alcoholics.
Media
Advertising, television, radio, movies and the music industry may encourage drinking either aggressively or in glamorous references. This may have a strong impact on many youths, especially if they are predisposed to alcoholism. The portrayal of alcohol may send a message that it is all right to drink in excess, MayoClinic.com notes. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism points to a study of third-, sixth- and ninth-graders. Youngsters who found alcohol advertisements desirable were more likely to view alcohol in a positive manner and to want to purchase alcohol products, according to research published in the January-March 2000 issue of the "Journal of Health Communications."
Family
Parents who drink more or view drinking favorably may influence children, who begin drinking more as they reach the teens or adulthood, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Young people have a high risk for early drinking when they have a history of family violence or abuse, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. People with a family history of alcoholism are more likely to begin drinking before age 20 and become alcoholics. Although genetics may play a role, adolescent drinkers tend to binge drink, drink and drive or make other judgment errors more often than younger drinkers who do not have alcoholism in the family.
Age
Young people are strongly exposed to drinking because of marketing messages, high-tech communication advances and peer pressure. About 2 million people, ages 12 to 20, are considered heavy drinkers and more than 4 million are binge drinkers, the University of Maryland Medical Center states. Drinking in adolescence increases the risk of developing alcoholism.
While drinking among young people has become a widespread concern, excessive drinking by the elderly has also become a problem. Many people in the elderly population cannot drink as much as they once did because alcohol affects the older body differently. They may maintain the same drinking patterns, but need smaller amounts of alcohol to get the same effects. This increases the risk of alcoholism.
The effects of alcohol intensify when combined with some medications. Many older people take prescription drugs that can cause strong and dangerous reactions when mixed with alcohol. Some elderly people may also suffer from loneliness or isolation during the retirement years, tempting them to drink more. Doctors and relatives may overlook the signs of alcoholism in the elderly, believing symptoms come from the aging process.
