Parent Tips: Alcohol and teens

Parent Tips - A multi-part series on drugs that impact our teens: Alcohol and Teens

high and senior high school students drink alcohol on a monthly basis, and 14% of teens have been intoxicated at least once in the past year. Nearly 8% of teens who drink say they drink at least five or more alcoholic drinks in a row (binge drink).

 

Just a few of the many dangerous effects of alcohol use in teens include the following:

• Alcohol decreases teens' ability to pay attention.
• Teens who have experienced alcohol withdrawal tend to have difficulties with memory.
• In contrast to adults, teens tend to abuse alcohol with other substances, usually marijuana.
•  Male teens who drink heavily tend to complete fewer years of education compared to male teens who do not.
• The younger a person is when they begin drinking, the more likely they are to develop a problem with alcohol.
• Each year, almost 2,000 people under the age of 21 years die in car crashes in which underage drinking is involved. Alcohol is involved in nearly half of all violent deaths involving teens.
• More than three times the number of eighth-grade girls who drink heavily said they have attempted suicide compared to girls in that grade who do not drink.
• Intoxication is associated with suicide attempts using more lethal methods, and positive blood alcohol levels are often found in people who complete suicide.
• Teens who drink are more likely to engage in sexual activity, have unprotected sex, have sex with a stranger, or be the victim or perpetrator of a sexual assault.
• Excess alcohol use can cause or mask other emotional problems, like anxiety or depression.
• Drinking in excess can lead to the use of other drugs, like marijuana, cocaine, or heroin.

Risk Factors for Teens Developing Alcohol Problems

Family risk factors for teenagers developing drinking problems include low levels of parent supervision or communication, family conflicts, inconsistent or severe parental discipline, and a family history of alcohol or drug abuse. Individual risk factors include problems managing impulses, emotional instability, thrill-seeking behaviors, and perceiving the risk of using alcohol to be low. Girls who drink, as well as teens who begin drinking prior to 14 years of age and those whose mothers have drinking problems, are more likely to develop alcoholism. Teen risk factors for alcoholism differ a bit between the 14- to 16-year-old and 16- to 18-year-old age groups, in that 16- to 18-year-olds tend to be less likely to drink in excess when they have a close relationship with their mothers.

Symptoms for Alcohol Abuse

Some of the most common symptoms of alcohol abuse in teenagers include lying, making excuses, breaking curfew, staying in their room, becoming verbally or physically abusive toward others, having items in their possession that are connected to alcohol use (paraphernalia), the smell of alcohol on their breath or body, mood swings, stealing, and changes in friends.

•  Alcoholism is a substance-use disorder in which the sufferer has problems managing how much alcohol they drink, and their lives as a result.
•  The symptoms of alcoholism include tolerance to alcohol, withdrawal episodes, using more alcohol for longer periods of time, and problems managing life issues due to alcohol.
•  Alcoholism is caused by a number of individual, family, genetic, and social factors rather than by any one cause.
•  Although a number of genes play a role in the development of alcoholism, this is a disease in which other factors more strongly influence its occurrence.
• Alcoholism is diagnosed by evaluating whether the individual shows a number of symptoms of problem drinking on a regular basis.
• Alcoholism treatment is usually treated based on the stage of the addiction, ranging from management of risk factors and education to intensive residential treatment followed by long-term outpatient care and support

What is the treatment for alcohol intoxication?

Replacing fluids that are lost as a result of the increased urination associated with drinking is often used to treat alcohol intoxication. Doctors frequently use fluids that contain sugars for that purpose.

What is alcohol poisoning?

Alcohol poisoning is the potentially fatal result of drinking excessive amounts of alcohol in a short period of time. It is caused by alcohol slowing down the body's functions (for example, breathing, heart rate, and gag reflex), thereby potentially leading to choking, coma, stopped breathing, stopped heart, and death. Treatment involves getting the person to the hospital immediately so he or she can be closely watched by medical professionals, given oxygen and fluids, and so that other measures can be taken in order to prevent choking, as well as stopped breathing or heartbeat.

 

How can parents prevent alcohol use

Clear communication by parents about the negative effects of alcohol, as well as about their expectations regarding drug use, have been found to significantly decrease alcohol use in teens. Adequate parental supervision has also been found to be a deterrent to alcohol use in youth. Alcohol, and other drug use, has been found to occur most often between the hours of 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., immediately after school and prior to parents' arrival at home from work. Teen participation in extracurricular activities has therefore been revealed to be an important measure in preventing use of alcohol in this age group. Parents can also help educate teens about appropriate coping and stress-management strategies. For example, 15- to 16-year-olds who use religion to cope with stress tend to use drugs significantly less often and have less problems as a result of drinking than their peers who do not use religion to cope.

Conclusion

Being a parent is an extremely difficult job, it requires constant adaptation to your child or teen needs. Parents must be read to re-assess changes in their teen's behavior, moods, attitudes and actions that may cause a parent to become confused or concerned. That is the time to seek help and guidance from professionals or fellow parents on what to do about the issue at hand. Be vigilant, be aggressive on how you deal with incidents of alcohol, especially early on in your teens growth.