By Rabindra RooplallAlthough Guyana is one of the many countries that are engaged in the evaluation of the impact of alcohol on society, it has been identified as the country’s number one drug problem,Cheap NFL Jerseys 2016, health officials reveal.Apart from being one of the primary causes for underdevelopment in Guyana, the harm associated with the consumption of alcohol, particularly among young people, is an area of growing concern and presents a major challenge to all levels of government.Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, previously noted that Guyana was working in collaboration with a number of countries that have already begun this process in a project called ‘Genacis.’ He had noted that there were over 40 countries around the world that are currently engaged in this activity.The drinking culture of most persons “drinking to get drunk”, frequently at excessive and harmful levels, is associated with many forms of entertainment and participation in social events.Research reveals that a relatively small proportion of incidents involving alcohol-related violence is reported to police. As a result, many violent offences involving alcohol go unrecorded, making it difficult to determine the full extent of alcohol-related violence.According to one study, among those people who were physically abused by someone under the influence of alcohol or other drugs within a 12-month period,Wholesale Cheap Jerseys, nearly three-quarters (70%) did not report the incident to police.However,Wholesale China Jerseys, the evidence relating to the range of individual and social harms associated with alcohol misuse is strong. The consumption of alcohol, especially at high levels,Cheap NHL Jerseys China, is a significant risk factor for violence. Studies further show that alcohol-related crime and disorder can have a significant adverse impact upon the perceptions of safety among the broader community.While it was noted that close to 60 percent of youths between the ages of 13 and 15 would have taken a drink at some time.Alcohol abuse has many potential consequences including accidental falls, burns, drowning, brain damage, cirrhosis of the liver, impaired driving, pregnancy,Wholesale Adidas NHL Jerseys, poor school performance, work productivity loss, sexual assault, truancy, violence and vandalism.Reports further reveal that the alcohol industry earns approximately $22 billion annually from underage drinkers who consume mostly beers. A total of $4.8 billion is spent on alcohol advertising,Cheap NFL Jerseys, which aims to ‘normalise’ drinking.Despite this strong body of evidence, the relationship between alcohol and violence, like many other complex social phenomena, is not a simple or straightforward one. Research shows that heavy drinking and intoxication are associated with physical aggression.In fact, a significant proportion of alcohol-related assaults occurred within a private setting.Research also reveals that alcohol is also an important risk factor for both domestic violence and child abuse and neglect. The consumption of alcohol, either by the offender or victim or both, is also a significant contributing factor in incidents of non-fatal domestic violence, with research demonstrating that women whose partners consume alcohol at excessive levels are more likely to experience domestic violence.Research shows that youths who drink before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence and two and a half times more likely to become alcohol abusers than those who wait until the age of 21.Today, the new container sizes encourage greater consumption as instead of a 12-oz standard beer, there are now 32, 40 and 60 oz containers.Developing policies and initiatives that attempt to influence drinking behaviour is notoriously difficult, largely because the consumption of alcohol is both widely accepted as a significant part of Guyanese culture and at the same time responsible for a range of social and health-related problems.