BOOZE: A YOUNG PERSON'S GUIDE
PROGRAMME OUTLINE
00:00 – 00:49
We see glimpses of young people drinking.
00:50 – 02:45
A group of 18-year-old English boys are checking into a hotel in Tenerife to celebrate the end of their exams. There is a bar on every corner selling cheap beer. Matt is aware of the dangers and he is determined to keep an eye on his friends and get them back safely.
02:46 – 05:13
Seventeen-year-old Sarah lives in a hostel in Stroud because her mum couldn't handle her drinking habits. Sarah's life revolves around alcohol. She admits she just drinks to get drunk and them loses control. Older friends warn of the dangers and ask why she drinks so much.
05:14 – 08:16
It's Liz's 16th birthday party, and she is making preparations with her friend, Amy. They are selecting alcohol for a party punch. They talk about the irresponsibility of past drinking binges.
08:17 – 10:50
In Tenerife, the boys are shopping for alcohol. We hear their comments about how much they're going to consume. They are happy to be in Tenerife, to avoid the drunken fights back home. They say that alcohol helps boost their confidence with the opposite sex.
10:51 – 13:00
Sarah is drinking in a park with her mates. She has now been kicked out of the hostel because she lost control after a drinking session. She still feels it is not serious enough to make her think twice about drinking so much. She and her mates discuss the effects of various drinks.
13:01 – 15:40
In Southend Accident and Emergency Unit, 50% of the admissions on a Friday and Saturday night are alcohol related. John, 24, has been drinking for 13 hours and has punched a window, shattering the glass into his hand and wrist. A doctor explains the effects of alcohol consumption.
15:41 – 18:30
At Liz's party, she and her friends are playing a drinking game. Liz and Amy talk about boys and drink. They feel that they are more mature now and more responsible. However, we hear that 50% of date-rape cases are alcohol related.
18:31 – 20:53
The boys in Tenerife are now drunk and are off to a nightclub. We hear about the maximum number of units men and women are supposed to consume in one week.
20:54 – 24:42
In Manchester, 18-year-old Aoife and her friends are getting ready for a night out. She only drinks occasionally, to lose her inhibitions, but then she over does it and loses control of herself. Her friends worry about this and show her a film they made one night when she was 'paralytic'. They discuss the film and her friend says she cares about her.
24:43 – 27:14
Chloe, 18, has been admitted to the Accident and Emergency Unit. She collapsed in her friend's garden during a party, barely able to breathe. Her condition is considered serious enough for transfer to the Majors Unit. The doctor tells us the effects of serious drinking on the vital organs of the body.
27:15 – 30:09
Sarah has moved from the park to a friend's flat as it's raining. She has already consumed at least eight pints of beer and now, as her friends are trying Absinthe, she can't resist and has three shots.
30:10 – 32:38
Aoife has resisted alcohol all evening as the film of herself in a drunken state has scared her. She is very shy and is pleased she managed to go to a club without having drunk any alcohol. Her friends say she is much more able to enjoy the evening now.
32:39 – 35:36
A doctor is trying to find out what Chloe has been drinking but she doesn't know. He thinks her drinks might have been spiked, and the alcohol has to be flushed out of her system. John explains what happens to him when he's had too much to drink. This evening, he really lost his temper.
35:37 – 38:09
Matt is trying to get his mates back to the hotel in Tenerife. He talks about the consequences of drinking too much. He was going out with a girl for three years and one night, after drinking too much, she cheated on him. He was very let down and it showed him another side to drinking.
38:10 – 39:37
Three hours into her night out, Aoife is still avoiding alcohol, even on the dance floor. It is the first time she has faced the dance floor sober, but is getting on fine.
39:38 – 42:31
In the Majors Unit, Chloe's friend, Kirsty, admits she thought she'd lost one of her best friends. However, Chloe is recovering slowly. She has to drink plenty of water and lie in the recovery position in case she swallows her own vomit.
42:32 – 44:51
The following morning in Tenerife, the boys are nursing their hangovers. They reflect on what they had to drink and the positive atmosphere in Tenerife. Matt says, however, that drinking is not the be all and end all.
44:52 – 47:23
Sarah is starting to drink again the next morning. Her friend refuses to try the mixture she has concocted. Sarah realises that alcohol could permanently damage her health and that her life would be so much better without it.
