ALCOHOL ABUSE AND UNDER AGE DRINKING-
Facts about alcohol abuse and under age drinking among teens-:
Alcohol and among teens is a big problem. Teens are not old enough to drink because their bodies aren't fully developed enough to take it. Since their bodies are still growing alcohol interrupts the process and cause difficulties. The average age a teen that has tried alcohol is 11 for boys and 13 for girls. The average age where americans start drinking is around 15-16. Studies show that people who start drinking at 15-16 have four times the chance for developing alcohol dependence than a person who starts drinking at 21. The three leading causes of deaths in America for 15-24 year olds are automobile crashes, homicides and suicides. Alcohol is the leading factor in all three.
Binge drinking, often beginning around age 13, tends to increase during adolescence, peak in young adulthood (ages 18-22), then gradually decrease. Individuals who increase their binge drinking from age 18 to 24 and those who consistently binge drink at least once a week during this period may have problems attaining the goals typical of the transition from adolescence to young adulthood such as; marriage, educational attainment, employment, and financial independence.
Dependence on alcohol and other drugs is also associated with several psychiatric problems such as depression, anxiety,oppositional defiant disorder(ODD), and antisocial personality disorder.
Usually parents' drinking behavior and favorable attitudes about drinking have been positevely associated with adolesents' initiating and continuing drinking. Children who were warned about alcohol by their parents and children who reported being closer to their parents were less likely to start drinking. Lack of parental support, monitoring, and communication have been significantly related to frequency of drinking, heavy drinking and drug abuse among adolescents. Harsh, inconsistent discipline and hostility or rejection toward chidlren have also been found to significantly predict adolescent drinking and alcohol related problems. The most common and effective way for an individual to combat his or her addictive behaviors is through a self support group or with advice and support from a health care proessional. Treatment should also involve family members because family history may play a role in the origins of the problem and successful treatment cannot take place in isolation.
