My generation are boozing our way into an early grave.
When we were growing up you were called square if you didn’t get tipsy on a night out, the peer pressure to get drunk was intense.
Now consumed by image on social media, the new generation won’t dare let their guard or their hair down, as a result drinking copious amounts of alcohol is simply not on trend.
The peer pressure has shifted, the danger of looking worse for wear a constant threat.
The fear of that drunken selfie is advertently stopping our young from going on the dangerous path my generation of women have taken, a booze-fuelled existence.
In the same week our first alcohol-free bar opened on our island, Irish women were ranked among the heaviest female drinkers in the world.
The Virgin Mary in Capel Street Dublin opened last night serving up non-alcoholic beer, wines and cocktails ranging from €2 for a tonic water to €8 for a fancy cocktail.
Sceptics believe it won’t thrive in a country synonymous with binge drinking. But owner Vaughan Yates feels the market is wide open for Irish people who want an alternative to the chaotic pub scene.
He told the Irish Mirror: “To the doubters, and there are plenty, they laugh when I tell them I’m opening an alcohol-free bar in Dublin.
“I also hope it’s the start of something bigger, I think in 10 years’ time there will be a lot of venues like this.”
Millenials will be flocking to the venue as it’s ripe for posing in, meanwhile, my peers have quipped, “What’s the point in wine with no alcohol.”
My era of women booze heavily and the new study showed we lie fourth in a league table of 189 countries.
Siobhan O'Connor column: Mums in Ireland must not feel pressure to stay in shape after pregnancy
Lithuania, Moldova and the Czech Republic are the worst offenders but we’re up there slap bang near the top, it’s shameful.
The study in the Lancet medical journal highlighted how globally alcohol intake increased from 5.9 litres-a-year per adult in 1990 to 6.5 litres in 2017 and the journal predicts this will escalate to 7.6 litres by 2030. Binge drinking or heavy episodic drinking was defined as having six or more drinks at least once a month and this has already increased by 20% since 1990 in both men and women.
Dr Gareth McGovern from the Priority Medical Clinic in Dublin revealed this week women are drinking at home more and more.
Quite often women are sculling back two bottles of wine in one evening.
Mr McGovern told RedFM: “A lot of this drinking is being done at home.
“What we’re seeing is certainly a treatment circle and it surprised me, probably a majority of what I treat certainly over 50% is women drinking at home.
But the good news is the selfie obsessed children coming up are not as keen on the demon drink. Call them self-obsessed, but unlike us, they aren’t on course for a life besieged by alcohol related diseases.
This new breed of kids on the block don’t booze to get hammered, they prefer painting and prosecco nights.
The latest trend to hit Dublin sees the young folk painting a mini masterpiece posting on Instagram whilst sipping their tipple.
Siobhan O'Connor column: Binge drinking still alive and well for St Patrick's Day
The derogatory “snowflake” term was one of Collins Dictionary’s 2016 words of the year. It defines the term as “the young adults of the 2010s, viewed as being less resilient and more prone to taking offence than previous generations”.
Social media has been slammed for enhancing snowflake traits but what it has done is made our youth more conscious, not just on their appearance but big issues too.
Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg is leading the charge on climate change heading up protests across Europe.
Reacting to Ireland’s declaration of a climate and biodiversity emergency on Thursday she tweeted, “Great News”.
Greta noted a climate emergency “means leaving fossil fuels in the ground” and sent a call to other countries around the world asking “who is next?”
The declaration of a climate emergency is one of the primary demands of the student strike movement that began in August 2018, when Greta started protesting on the steps of the Swedish Parliament.
Scottish school striker Holly Gillibrand also took to social media to applaud the Irish stance and said she would be striking again as “words have been spoken and now we need action”.
These brave young women have used their voice on social media to ignite positive change.
We berate the youth for being fragile, melting like snowflakes, leading an over privileged existence.
Yet it’s the liberal youth who are not afraid of change, are challenging big businesses and antiquated attitudes decimating our universe.
They may be mollycoddled but the snowflakes are fighting for better social good. The conservatives originally coined the favourite phrase to flog at liberals particularly in light of Brexit.
From climate change to same- sex marriage it’s been the younger generation championing big causes.
While my generation are off getting hammered, plastered into oblivion the snowflakes have been busy saving the planet.
