By Greg Skibinski, MA, LCPC, CADC, CSAT, CMAT, Executive Director, Agape Counseling, LTD
It’s back to school time once again! It’s time for homework, hanging out with friends, cliques, peer pressure, parties, and trips to the emergency room for alcohol poisoning. It is scary to think about it that way, but today’s teens are choosing to turn to hard alcohol. Teens are enticed to use harder forms of alcohol, according to fellow teens, and for several reasons: it works faster than beer; they feel they need to relieve stress; peer pressure; curiosity; trying to copy, or emulate, their parent’s or adult behavior; because it feels good and it is easy to obtain.
In a recent June 15, 2014 article in Medical Daily, it was noted that a new study had found that teenagers are drinking in larger quantities than adults. When they do, they are indulging in more hard liquor than other drinks, like beer. Other results in that study found that half of all underage drinkers in the United States drink vodka.
Researchers had asked participants about their drinking behavior and habits over a 30-day period in the survey. They also assessed for binge drinking, which was defined as five or more drinks in a row for males and four or more drinks in a row for females. Drinking habits were assessed by the respondents in regards to their drinking behavior which included 900 brands of alcohol that comprised 16 different categories of alcoholic beverages. The survey concluded that participants drank hard liquor or spirits in 44 percent of binge drinking incidents. Vodka was consumed 27 percent of the time and was the cause of 23 percent of all binge incidents.
Binge drinking can cause teens to pass out, black out (lose memory of events that occurred while intoxicated), feel sick, miss school, or behave in a way that would otherwise be uncharacteristic of them. Some binge drinkers binge on the weekends and abstain or drink in moderation during the week.
According to a new U.S. government survey of teenage drinking, another study posted in Health Day News on July 26, 2014, it was reported that hard liquor is the drink of choice in four states among 40 percent of teenagers who try alcohol. Bourbon, rum, scotch, vodka, and whiskey were consumed more than beer by high school students who drank in Arkansas, New Mexico, Nebraska, and Wyoming, according to a report in the current issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly, a publication from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For the most part, the finding held true for both genders and across all racial groups.
Researchers suggested several reasons why hard alcohol might be preferable to beer among teens. Reasons included are the fact that it’s easier to hide by mixing it with a soft drink, tasting better to beginning drinkers, and that alcohol levels are higher in liquor, so binge drinkers feel the effects faster.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that 5,000 underage drinkers die from alcohol related tragedies every year and that binge drinking accounts for most of the alcohol consumed by youth in the U.S. “Binge drinking is associated with a host of negative consequences, including drunk driving, sexual assaults, and suicide,” said lead author Dr. Timothy Niami, associate professor at the Boston University School of Public Health.
Today, the average age an American girl has her first drink is 13; and for a boy, it’s age 11. It becomes more popular in mid-adolescence and peaks in college years. Young people who drink are more likely to be the victims of violent crime, alcohol-related traffic accidents, and can lead to feelings of depression and anxiety. Parents should educate their children about alcohol and need to be aware of their children’s access to liquor in their home, regardless if it is locked up or not. It’s important to set the stage early by letting your teenager know that he or she can talk to you about anything, without judgment or lecturing.
Parents, it’s important to open up and listen, ask open-ended questions, listen to the answers without interrupting, and discuss your family history. If your family has had problems with alcohol, your child should know about it, and allow them to be informed. Be open and honest about your experiences with alcohol, too. Set clear expectations and rules with your teen, making sure that you are communicating your values.
Adolescents are less likely to drink when they know that their parents and other important adults in their lives have strong feelings about it. Control your emotions. If you hear something that upsets you, take a few deep breaths and express your feelings in a positive way. Ask about your teenager’s friends. Express an interest in getting to know them better. Getting to know these friends and their parents will help you understand your teenager’s world and it can also save their life.
Does this article hit home with you or someone you know? We can help. The Peoria office number is 309-692-4433. Agape Counseling, LTDF, is a group of Christian counselors, social workers, psychologists and support staff committed to a therapeutic process that ministers to the whole person. Their Peoria office is located at 2001 W. Willow Knolls, Suite 110. The Morton location is 75 E. Queenwood Road. Visit their website: www.agapecounselors.net.
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