Alcohol and Teens
Alcohol and teenagers don’t mix. Teenagers who abuse alcohol and become addicted to alcohol will end living a sad reality. There are number of serious problems attributed with teenage alcohol use and abuse. Both the teenager and the family will suffer long term serious health and family welfare issues if the teen is not helped and given treatment in the early stages of alcohol abuse. Here are a few facts and statistics that you should know about teen alcohol use, abuse and addiction.
Binge Drinking
Binge drinking among teens is a very serious issue. Far beyond the college parties and the movies depicting young people chugging kegs of beer and having drinking contests, this sort of over consumption of alcohol can lead to alcohol addiction and can also be fatal. Binge drinking is drinking excessive amounts alcohol quickly in a short period of time. Too much alcohol can cause Alcohol poisoning. With alcohol poisoning the body’s functions (breathing, heart rate, and gag reflexes) slow down. This drinker can choke, stop breathing, and go into a coma or even die.
According to United States Government 11% of 8th graders, 22% of 10th graders and 27% of all 12th graders in this country said they have binge drank in the past year. 50 percent of all high school seniors said they drank alcohol in the past 30 days. Also, in 2002, the United States Government found that 2.8 million binge drinkers in America were between the ages of 13 and 18. These numbers are troubling considering that if teenage alcohol abuse is not caught early that teen is more likely than an adult to become an alcoholic. Alcoholism or “alcohol dependency” is defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, as “a negative pattern of alcohol use leading to a number of problems, which may include needing more alcohol to get intoxicated (tolerance), difficulties that occur when the effects of alcohol wear off (withdrawal), using more alcohol or for longer time than intended, and other life problems because of the use of alcohol.”
Risk Factors to Teenage Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
It is important to know just what to look for when trying to help a teenager brake the hold alcohol may have on them. Certain risk factors are specific to teens and give a parent or guardian an early warning of teen alcohol abuse before it grows. The things that may give a hint of teen alcohol abuse are; little to no communication with parents, no parental supervision, parent or relative of teen may be an alcoholic, the teen may be steadily doing worse at school, they may be trying to fit in and they may be suffering from peer pressure. The teen may suffer from a mental illness such as schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, depression that may exacerbate the alcohol abuse.
Other warning signs to look for are; if there is a noticeable change in the teen’s personality. For example, if the teen seems to be more depressed than usual and has little to no interest in school or other things teens do. The teen’s attitude may be getting more negative and they may snap at family members and be very argumentative. They may show signs of risky behavior like driving under the influence. These hints and risk factors recognized and caught early will save the life of a teenage. The teen will need counseling and treatment.
According to the United States Government, “Alcohol is the most frequently used drug by American teen.” Approximately half of America’s high school seniors and juniors drink alcohol on a monthly basis. About 8 percent drinking teens in America binge drank before. That means they had least 5 or more drinks in a row.
Alcohol can have some very serious affects on a teenager. The attention span is damaged and the teen has difficulty paying attention. The teen may eventually suffer memory loss due to alcohol abuse. Alcohol may be a gateway drug that can lead the teen to use other dangerous controlled substances. Mary Rieser at Narconon drug rehab agrees, “This is a serious problem and parents need to take note”.
Research has been found that supports the finding of the United States Government that says that “teenage male heavy drinkers complete fewer years of education compared to their teenage male non-drinking counterparts.” Furthermore, the younger a person is when they start drinking, the more likely they are to develop a drinking problem. According to www.medicinenet.com every year nearly 2,000 people under the age of 21 die in motor vehicle accidents involving underage drinking. Half of all violent deaths where involving teens involve alcohol. Over three times as many 8th grade heavy drinkers said they attempted suicide compared to 8th grade non drinkers. More lethal methods of attempted suicide have been attributed to the person being intoxicated.
It has been said to be about 5 Stages of alcohol and drug use. Access to alcohol is the first. If they don’t have access it is less likely that they will use or abuse it. Experimentation is the second stage. Occasional use can develop into consistent and regular use in no time. The third stage is a noticeable increase in use by the teen. In the fourth stage the teen has evolved their use to regular use and the want for the alcohol has highly increased. This stage is when most of the problems with school and family etc. begin. Finally, the teen doesn’t feel normal without alcohol. They show signs of declining in all areas of their life and may even become suicidal at this point. If you know a teen that has any of these signs get them help fast.
This is why it is very important for parents of teenagers to play an active role in the life of their child. Communication is the key to the proper growth and development of a child/teenager. Parents should take every opportunity to talk with their teenager about alcohol and other drugs. Research confirms that healthy parental communication and an active role in child’s life ‘significantly decreases teenage alcohol use.” Proper supervision by parents has always been one of the best deterrents to teen alcohol use.
