Alcohol Abuse Among Teenagers

___________________________________________________________________________

Unfortunately, according to recent alcoholism research, alcohol abuse among teenagers is starting at earlier ages AND is increasing.

Research by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Research studies show that alcohol abuse among teenagers starts at a very image: teenage female exhibiting alcohol-related rageearly age.  More precisely, the average age when teenagers first try alcohol is 13 years old for girls and 11 years old for boys.  The average age at which Americans begin drinking regularly, according to these research studies is 15.9 years old.

According to research that was undertaken by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), teens who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop a dependency on alcohol than those who begin drinking at 21 years of age.

In fact, according to Joseph A. Califano, Chairman and President of The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, "a child who reaches age 21 without smoking, abusing alcohol or using drugs is virtually certain never to do so."

Are these statistic meaningful?  To help answer this question, consider the following.  Research was undertaken in 1998 by American substance abuse researchers to ascertain the total cost associated with the negative outcomes of underage drinking. The cost was more than $58 billion per year!  To help a person comprehend this staggering number, $58 billion dollars is equal to the net worth of 58,000 millionaires!

A Study Undertaken By the Department of Health and Human Services

In a 1996 report done by the Department of Health and Human Services, the following was discovered:

  1. 33% of the teens surveyed did not understand the intoxicating effects of alcohol.

  2. 80% of teens do not know that a shot of whiskey has the same amount of alcohol as a 12-ounce can or bottle of beer.

  3. Most teens don't know the strengths of different alcoholic drinks.  For instance, the alcohol content is different in beer, wine, wine coolers, and in whiskey.  And to make things more complicated, each form of alcoholic beverage can contain different amounts of alcohol.  For example, some beer has a low percentage of alcohol while others have two or three times the alcoholic content.

Alcohol Abuse Among Teenagers: A Social Activity

Research has revealed that teen drinking is mainly a social activity.  In fact, teens rarely drink alone.  Stated differently, the more a teen drinks, the more likely their drinking will be with other teens.  There are, however, many other reasons besides peer influence that lead to teen drinking.

The coping mechanisms typically used by codependents are denial (I deny, change, or minimize how I truly feel), low self-esteem (I value others' approval of my feelings, actions, and thinking over my own), compliance (I am afraid to express my own opinions and feelings, especially if they are different), and control (I become resentful when others refuse my help).

image: female teen college student drinking by the poolIndeed, the social environment and media influences may also play a key role in a teen's decision to drink.  These external factors, on the other hand, do not explain the whole picture.

That is, according to alcohol and drug addiction experts, various personality traits have been identified that can lead to alcohol abuse by teens.

For instance, teens who have personalities that can be described as under-controlled, sensation or thrill seeking, or impulsive are considered at risk for alcohol abuse.

In the fourth and final stage of alcoholism, the alcoholic manifests an utter disregard for everything, including shelter, family, food, and job. These occasional flights into oblivion are best described, ironically, as drinking to get away from the problems caused by drinking.

image: teenage male in distress over effects of alcoholismOther teens who openly reject authority figures or who can't wait to grow up often drink excessively.  Not only this, but emotional problems can also lead to drug and alcohol use.  In fact, a study done in the mid-1990s revealed that two-thirds of the teens surveyed stated that they use drugs and alcohol to help them forget their problems.

One of the main psychological problems faced by teens that can lead to drinking is the dysfunctional nature of their family lifestyle.  Teens with parents who face financial or relationship problems may start drinking for comfort.  Not only this, but if one or both of the teens' parents are alcoholic, according to one study, teens may be up to seven times more likely to become alcoholics themselves as compared with teens who have nonalcoholic parents.

In 1998 in the United States, 1,668 drivers from the ages of 16 to 20 were involved in alcohol-related fatal motor vehicle crashes. Another 21,000 were involved in alcohol-related accidents that resulted in injury.

What Makes Up One Drink?

Since one drink is defined as containing one-half of an ounce of pure ethyl alcohol, each of the following is considered to be one drink:

  • 10 ounces to 12 ounces of beer at 4% to 5% alcohol content
  • 8 ounces to 12 ounces of wine cooler at 4% to 5% alcohol content
  • 4 ounces to 5 ounces of table wine at 9% to 12% alcohol content
  • 2.5 ounces of fortified wine at 20% alcohol content
  • 1.25 ounces of 80 proof distilled spirits at 40% alcohol content
  • 1 ounce of 100 proof distilled spirits at 50% alcohol content

Please see Alcohol Abuse and Teenage Statistics for more information about teens and alcohol abuse. 

Despite the tireless efforts of thousands of advocates, impaired drivers continue to kill someone every 30 minutes, nearly 50 people a day, and almost 18,000 citizens a year.

Alcohol Abuse Among Teenagers:  Conclusion

As outlined above, research studies have demonstrated alcohol abuse among teenagers starts at a very early age.  Perhaps the key point to be learned from this is the following statistic from the NIAAA:  teens who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop a dependency on alcohol than those who begin drinking at 21 years of age.

Equipped with this information, parents, educators, and political leaders need to educate our young people on the dangers of alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction before they become teenagers.

Please Add Our Website To Your Favorite Bookmarks!

_____________________________________________________