The Councilor for Youth, Charo Villasclaras, has launched a programme aimed at finding alternatives to the traditional ‘botellón’, the consumption of vast quantities of alcohol.
The programme, with the catchy title of ‘botellón alternativo’ aims to enlist the co-operation of various youth organisations and associations to develop a series of activities which are not based in the consumption of alcohol. At the same time, various forums and debates will be set up to discuss the consequences of ‘botellón’.
Dance lessons, online games, sports, workshops, drama groups, film clubs and music concerts are all being considered as potential alternatives forms of entertainment for the youth of the municipality. Surveys of botellón participants will also be carried out to provide feedback on the needs of the youth community and to get their ideas on what sort of activities they would like to see introduced and, presumably, whether they would actually be interested.
Not an easy task in modern society where alcohol, and to an ever increasing extent drugs of one description or another, have become an integral part of that society.
So what is likely to happen? Probably the same as in ‘adult’ situations. So-called ‘alternatives’ are available, but are they ever actually used as alternatives?
You were going out for a drink, but now there is a concert on. What do most (?) people do? They go to the concert, and then go out for that drink. It doesn’t become an alternative, it becomes an addition, an ‘extra’.