Enter any bar in the capital and you will see some young group of folks having fancy drinks on their table. Why is the drinking culture quickly catching up and what draws them to drink? Is it the hectic life in Kathmandu or are they really lured by drink? Or is it our culture that forces to drink and the taste of alcohol lingers on? Answers come from different sides and perspective as the ´youths of today´ answer.
"Drinking is good sometimes as it helps in metabolism," said 27-year-old Anil Maharjan, who´s currently practicing engineering in Darjeeling and has quit drinking completely. Sharing one of his embarrassing moments, he said, "Once I reached home drunk and I couldn´t face my mom. So I went to bed directly. Next morning I got a good scolding and the hangover was horrible. I felt like throwing up the whole day."
Excessive drinking has done no one good but drinking is quickly becoming the ´in´ thing to socialize with people around. "It´s easy to socialize with people when you´re alone," reasons Anil, whereas 22-year-old Abhiyanta Shrestha thinks otherwise.
"The whole drinking culture has become like a fashion statements for the youth," she says. Chirag Agrawal, 21, a retail assistant at Snapper Photo, New Road, begs to differ and believes that drinking culture has just been over hyped and that the youth are following it because everyone talks about it.
"I also believe that we have been somewhat influenced by the west and their drinking culture," says Chirag. However, it cannot be denied that this whole culture arose from our society itself. It is part of the culture to drink sometimes and beer is almost considered soft drink in today´s time.
Kathmandu today sees many facilities and a hectic life. Teens today have started working early, be it in a restaurant taking orders or blabbering away on the radio as an RJ or interning somewhere where their interest lies. Most youths will say that they´re drinking because they can´t resist drinking and some will blame it on peer pressure.
"It really depends on an individual to drink or not to drink," opines Abhiyanta, sticking to her point and claiming that most youths today open themselves to the whole culture because it´s trendy and fashionable. However, attitude has something to do with it too.
Youth and drinking culture has been prevalent for the last few decades in and around Kathmandu but in the present context, the youths have really come out and have started drinking more openly in public places and bars. As the youth become more independent at an early age they are constantly under work pressure but the pleasure of getting cash in hand at the end of the month keeps them going. And, as a result, this draws them to drinking, call it a societal or peer pressure or a way of socializing. This is where it starts and just ends!
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