Underage Drinking

Underage drinking is a huge concern in our world today. It isn't just a matter of teens having a drink or two, they tend to drink to excess (having more than six drinks on a single occasion). According to DontServeTeens.gov 8 percent of eighth graders, 16 percent of 10th graders and 24 percent of seniors say that they have been binge drinking in recent history. Most of these teens say that they have drank like this in the past 30 days. Teen alcohol abuse is very real and we all need to do our part to prevent and discourage this behavior.

Teens who drink tend to have a variety of other problems including: other drug abuse, increased school absences, behavior problems, problems with peers, increased homicide and suicide rates, mental effects that are permanent, more accidents in and outside of automobiles, effects on growth and sexual development, and more illness overall. These are just a few of the problems that come with underage drinking.

The National Institutes of Health give the following advice for preventing underage drinking:

Schools:

1. Provide information on drinking and drug use that is age appropriate
2. Help teens develop social, personal and other skills to resist the pressure to drink
3. Skills training
4. Using interactive teaching methods
5. Getting family and community involved in education
6. Being sensitive to cultural differences

Families:

1. Create strong relationships within the family
2. Positive reinforcement
3. Good communication skills including listening and understanding
4. Helping teens learn how to solve problems effectively
5. Parent need to monitor their children of all ages and be involved in what they are doing

If you or someone you love has a problem with alcohol abuse please seek help from a rehabilitation center today.