Posts Tagged teen alcoholism

Nearly 50% of Teens in America Drink, Smoke, Use Drugs

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse, Drug Addiction, Prescription Drug Abuse, Tobacco Abuse on June 30th, 2011

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at the Columbia University in New York recently shared alarming statistics on teens under substance abuse. According to the report, almost 50% of the American teen population is now into drinking, smoking or drug abuse, and many of them become addicts before they reach the age of 18.

teen substance abuseThe report also cited alcohol as the most common drug of choice by high school students, followed by cigarettes and marijuana. Of the ten million high school students in the country, 75% of them have already experimented with alcohol, marijuana, and even cocaine, with one out of every five qualifying in the criteria of being an addict.

CASA vice president and director of research Susan E. Foster says that their study sends out the message to parents that it’s time to intervene and prevent addictions of their teens. “Do everything you can to get young people through their teen years without using drugs or alcohol,” she says. “Every year they don’t use drugs or alcohol reduces their risk of negative consequences, such as addiction.”

Teen substance abuse has become a very big problem. But Dr. Stephen Grcevich, a child psychologist from the Family Center in Ohio, says that the problem can be avoided with parents guiding their children at the earliest stage. There is a need for parents to influence their kids even in their early years so that by the time they reach teenage years, they would be able to handle the pressure and eventually say no to drugs and alcohol.

People who drink only by age 21 are 40% less likely to become addicts later on in life than those who start drinking even before they reach 15 years old. The human brain is still developing between the ages of 15 and 22, and the process could be negatively affected by drinking, smoking or drug use.

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Young Athletes Prefer Alcohol than Drugs

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse on June 1st, 2011

A study on young athletes show that while they may be less likely to smoke or take illegal drugs, their alcohol consumption is increasing.

teen alcohol drinkingIn a Reuters feature, Yvonne Terry-McElrath, one of the authors of the study from the University of Michigan, suggests that exercise could be a starting point to discourage drug use among teens. Getting kids into sports may not be a total cure for drug addiction, but it could at least make an impact on lowering the statistics of teens who get hooked on drugs. “If we can encourage an enjoyment in general exercise, we may be able to see a lowering of participation in drug use,” she says.

The study was done on about 12,000 students. Results yielded show that those who participate in athletic activities or just in simple exercises don’t usually pick drugs or cigarettes, registering only zero to two times of instances in the past year. The times that they drank alcohol in the past year though was put at an average of five instances.

Put into figures, the group who were not into sports reached 38% smoking population and at least 23% who were into pot smoking. Compared to the group who got themselves moving and working out, they only had 25% of cigarette smoking and 17% of pot incidents.

An increase in drinking statistics among athletes can be attributed to group drinking that usually happens when they get together in teams. Drinking becomes a social activity for them, and the pressure to drink after games is always present. Teens who are also in a team would not risk their team’s reputation by taking illicit drugs, and sees alcohol as a better alternative.

There are still a lot of factors that need attention in determining causes of teen drinking and drug abuse. The authors admit that their results are just the tip of the iceberg, and that a long-term study about the subject is encouraged.

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Dangers Teens Face with Drinking

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse, Raising Healthy Kids on May 16th, 2011

In 2005, it has been found out that there are 10 million people, within the ages of 12 to 20, drink alcohol. Of the ten, seven million are binge drinkers and two million are confirmed heavy drinkers. Imagine what these figures could be today.

drunk teenWhatever reasons teens and young adults may have for drinking, the same dangerous effects will be experienced. Here are some examples presented to show that drinking isn’t at all good for the body.

When an individual is in puberty, a lot of hormonal changes in the body are taking place. If a certain adolescent starts to drink at this time, his alcohol intake may affect the hormone balances which could have drastic results. The widely affected hormones include those of the sex hormones, estrogen and testosterone. The balance of these substances in the body is disturbed with the presence of alcohol, and the normal development of muscles and bones as well as other organs will be upset resulting to abnormalities.

Drinking is also a major cause why minors get into vehicular accidents. Accidents that happen due to drunk driving have become a leading cause for teen deaths. Other causes of death linked to alcohol intake are suicide, drowning, and even murder.

Early drinking can develop into an alcohol addiction and dependence during adult life. In a study done by the Mayo Clinic, those who drink before the age of 21 are four times more likely to become alcohol addicts when they become adults, compared to those who wait until the age of 21 before starting to drink.

Lastly, sexual irresponsibility is also linked to teen drinking. Most teens that get into drinking also becomes careless and involve themselves into sexual activities without proper protection, ending up with unwanted pregnancies or acquiring STDs. When alcohol affects the brain, the individual’s inhibitions are also hit, making him or her sexually active.

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Understanding the Laws for Minors in DUI Cases

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse on May 11th, 2011

If most teens and parents think that consequences of drunk driving by minors are lighter compared to those in the legal age, they think wrong. In fact, the punishment for drivers who are minors can be heavier and the evidences needed to pin minors down for such a charge need not be as heavy.

drunk drivingIt is important then for both parents and children to know about the laws that govern DUI cases of minors. Laws can vary from one state to another, but in general, they can be summarized as follows:

Criminal Consequences – Penalties for DUI could range from fines to imprisonment. While it is true that minors are dealt with separately from adults when charged with DUI, sentences can vary depending on each court’s discretion. Aside from fines and jail time, juvenile violators can be put on programs that deal with alcohol and drugs addiction. Minors can also be given community service tasks and sent into detention facilities.

Zero Tolerance – States have set limits for blood alcohol content (BAC) levels to consider a driver who is driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while intoxicated (DWI). For adults, the BAC is usually at 0.08 and if adult drivers go way beyond the limit, they are arrested. In a minor’s case, he need not go beyond 0.08 to be charged; a BAC of more than 0.02 can already suffice for drivers under 21 to be arrested for DUI or DWI.

Driving Restrictions – For minors who are charged with DUI, their licenses are automatically suspended and can even be revoked. Just a DUI charge, not necessarily a conviction, may be enough for a minor’s license to be completely taken from him. The state also implements suspension sanctions but when minors are involved, the three to six months usual suspension can extend up to a few more months, even years.

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Supervised Underage Drinking Still Dangerous

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse, Raising Healthy Kids on April 30th, 2011

It seems that teen drinking, even when supervised by parents or other responsible adults, has the same effect in children’s lives when they become adults. While most parents would opt to introduce alcohol to their kids themselves rather than from some other people or circumstances, a new study suggests that kids may still over-indulge in alcohol during their early years and later develop alcohol problems.

teen drinkingA study was conducted of more than 1900 teen participants aged 12-13 years old of Australian and American bloodlines. In Australia, almost 67% of teens drink with the supervision of their parents while in the US, only 35% do. After a year, Australian teens who experienced alcohol-related problems was put at 36% while the American counterpart only had 21% incident rate.

More findings and results will be published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs (JSAD). The research was a joint effort of the Centre for Adolescent Health in Melbourne, Australia, and the Social Development Research Group in Seattle, Washington.

Despite having peers and other people around them, it was clear in the study that regardless of race, the role of parents in their children’s lives should not be taken for granted. In a feature on Red Orbit, Minnesota University professor Dr. Barbara McMorris says that “Both studies show that parents matter. Despite the fact that peers and friends become important influences as adolescents get older, parents still have a big impact.”

“Kids need parents to be parents and not drinking buddies. Adults need to be clear about what messages they are sending. Kids need black and white messages early on. Such messages will help reinforce limits as teens get older and opportunities to drink increase,” she concluded.

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Study Points to Parents, Relatives as Source of Booze for Kids

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse, Raising Healthy Kids on February 17th, 2011

A federal study has determined that around 709,000 kids, aged 12 to 14, are drinking beer, liquor, and other alcoholic beverages, according to a feature on Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

Since kids this age obviously cannot buy the booze on their own, the study also learned how they get their hands on these beverages. While there are those who resort to sneaky tactics such as getting an older “friend” to buy a six-pack from the liquor store, or smuggling the stuff from the family stash, there are some kids who are actually getting alcohol directly from a parent, guardian, or adult relative.

teen alcohol abuseAccording to a report from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), more than 200,000 kids were given alcohol by an adult family member – and this number is just in the past month alone.

Peter Delany, director of the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality at SAMHSA, said: “About 5.9 percent of 12- to 14-year-olds have used alcohol in the past month… That’s a pretty large number… And almost all of these kids got that alcohol for free.”

Delany revealed further that 45 percent of kids who drank alcoholic drinks either got them from a parent or a family member, or took it without permission from their own homes.

The reason behind why parents give kids liquor is not clear, according to Delany. He said: “Anecdotally, parents say, ‘Well, at least they are drinking at home and not on the street, or at least they are not smoking marijuana’ — all kind of silly things.”

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