I read a article recently talking about the increase in alcohol consumption by Nepali youth in Nepal. The writer was blaming the media and peer pressure regarding the trend, but I thought rather then blaming then I think we Nepali's are influenced by our elders.

What do you guys think? Most of the old nepali baje's and bajai's I know and have seen in Nepal start the morning with Tongba, Jaad, Raksi etc and carry on till the night. Even in the most rural parts in Nepal, alcohol is available to buy whilst coke and pepsi are not. Obviously peer pressure is also to blame for the increase and our culture itself because parents do restrict their sons/daughters to drink at home mostly.

What do you guys think has influenced this growth?

yOU CAN BLAME ANYBODY YOU WANT.. BUT EVENTUALLY IT'S YOU HEALTH WHICH IS IN THE LINE !!

true - its the health which deteriorates, yet media is not the sole factor i guess.

actually it's up to the individual to decide what is good and what is not.
but consuming alcohol beverages actually are good for the health. it's only become potent when
consumed in large volume. In Nepal we have homemade distilled spirits and alcohol such as raksi and jaar. This is one good sector Nepal can produce to sell internationally.
Take look example of other asians nation. they export their own homemade spirits and beer such as sake, soju. we also have many asians beer selling in international market. so why not nepalese brand.

here's Tongba, a special Limbu culture drink, Tongba is homemade wine. Fermented
millet seeds are put in a wooden or plastic mug which is filled with
hot water. One sips through a bamboo straw as more hot water is added
which makes Tongba go down easily with greater impact and taste. Many
consume this drink during winter season, and is also a favorite drink
among the tourists.

here's rakshi. locally brewed spirits that matches japanese sake and korean soju but more potent
than sake and soju. it all depends on the individual brewer. it takes patient, skills and methods used in
brewing the most potent rakshi. actually this is one hidden treasure that has not been seen or discovered by outsiders.

Well,i completely dis agree with that poitb.Heck no,we donn learn from our elders except in some ethnic groups.I m not trying to bring the ethnicity issue but i have to mention.If you remember,it would be disrespectful to drink in front of your seniors while there are some ethnic groups who use alcohol in their feast and festivals.Also,when Nepali guys come in US they wanna be cool by drinking alcohol until getting wasted wasted and tell everybody next day that ya had so much fun being "JHYAAP"

This is how tongba is made. Tongba is made from the crop we know as millet.
But to be more precise and for your knowldege here's the info.
Plant Family / Families: Poaceae
Scientific Name: Eleusine coracana

Eleusine coracana is an annual plant native to Africa, where it has also been grown as a food crop since ancient times. It is similarly cultivated throughout Asia, where it is believed to have been introduced as a cereal crop thousands of years ago. The plant has easily adapted to higher elevations and is grown in the Himalayas; the field in this photograph was growing at an altitude around 2300m.
Due to its wide cultivation, Eleusine coracana goes by a variety of common names such as

ENGLISH : Indian millet, Ragi millet, Finger millet, African finger millet.
NEPALESE :  Kodo
JAPANESE : Shikoku bie
HINDI : Ragi
THAI : Khao pang samngam

Finger millet, one of the English common names, tolerates poor soils and low rainfall. It also lasts a very long time in storage. These features, combined with its very high nutritional value (higher in protein, fats and minerals than corn or rice), makes it an essential crop to some of the poorest farmers in the world.
As a member of the grass family, the plant has strap-like green leaves with parallel venation. The seed heads are distinctive, sometime described as a goosefoot, or cat claw. As a result of centuries of cultivation, seeds heads can vary in colour and shape, including curved heads on this ornamental variety or straight heads.
Besides being a food crop, Eleusine coracana is also fermented and made into alcohol. I first encountered this plant when drinking tongba, or hot millet beer, while i traveled to dharan.

here's some picture of Eleusine coracana or simply the millets.

closer look up.

The grains of millet are cooked, fermented, and dried. To serve, the dried mash is placed in bamboo flasks with boiling water then poured over the mash. The concoction is allowed to sit for a few minutes to "stew". A straw is used to suck out the water and alcohol from the mash. The resulting warm beverage has a distinctive sweet-sour taste. As the mixture becomes dry, more boiling water is added and the process repeated. This is not a quick drink; the process can last for hours until the alcohol (or the individual consuming the beverage) is depleted.

Ready to serve. Appreciate what the nature has to offer you. This is the cultural experience one should be proud of. Promoting to tourists and to international market is not only good for the country's economic but also also bring cultural awareness to the people. Nepalese need to think outside the box!
I wished that they had tongba in US. if someone do know, please let me know.

 

@Syd_Acid,
yep in a way we are wild hooligans, yet this could just be us trying to escape from our responsibilities and be wild like the people our age. Drinking is a 'cool' thing to do I guess when your out with friends etc, and yes it is disrespectful to drink in front of our elders hence people drink outside and become more wild. If it was permitted at home with a guideline then the behaviour outside wouldnt be that much of a big deal etc.
Nepali alcohol could be promoted internationally i guess, there are gurkha beers etc.

It gives slow kick. Love it.

cheers