Essay on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Problem Among Teenagers

A United States (US) research study conducted between 2008 and 2010 reveals that a majority of adolescents experiment with alcohol at a very tender age, and one in five has participated over-indulged (Swendsen et al., 2012). Alcohol is remarkable compared to other psychoactive drugs, and it is the only that remains legal for persons 18 years and older in most jurisdictions. Consequently, it is normalized in societies since it is seen in movies and television shows. Grown-ups normalize the use of alcohol furthermore, i.e., approximately 80% gown-ups in the US take alcohol. A huge number of adults responsibly drink alcohol and are, therefore, becomes appealing to teenagers. Teenagers see this as a way of becoming “trendy” and progressively matured. There is additionally a characteristic interest in liquor as an intoxicant. Adolescents explore numerous different things, e.g., dresses, hairdos, etc., and alcohol abuse becomes an avenue for exploration. The uniqueness of this experimentation is that teenagers do not care about the consistency or taste of alcohol; they are more curious about the feeling of intoxication. Significant levels of binge drinking results from this; which normally is characterized by five drinks in succession inside a brief time-frame. In their teens, alcohol-takers are inexperienced, so they do not have the foggiest idea the quantity of alcohol is required for intoxication or the extent they can take inside a reasonable period. Therefore, consistent dangers lurk for them in the form of unintentionally overindulging with alcohol after taking the first sip.

Parents who are permissive towards alcohol provision to adolescents fall in one of two types. There exist particular kinds of behavior, and they ought to be isolated. Certain guardians accept that it is alright for adolescents to partake of alcohol at societal occasions, e.g., a wedding. In some families, wine can also be taken by teenagers when having dinner. There exists no proof that that sort of arrangement is unsafe for teens. Scholarly studies conducted have demonstrated that that sort of provision might be protective since it destroys the taboo aura of alcohol among youthful consumers of alcohol. Conversely, some teenagers and their friends are furnished with large amounts of liquor at parties by their parents. Such conduct by parents is gravely dangerous, facilitating, and unlawful. Roughly 25% of adolescents have confirmed parent’s involvement in alcohol provision at parties with friends (Galanter et al., 2014).

Some parents provide alcohol to their teenage children in order to show them they are on their side and are supportive. Parents need to become friends with their teenagers so that they will open to them if any problem arises. Teenagers’ lives revolve around having many friends, but they can only have two parents. Therefore, parents are critical. Teenage children’s protection through reasonable limits set during their adolescent’s phase is among a parent’s fundamental roles. Nevertheless, research has suggested that parents’ alcohol provision at teenage parties is viewed as a protective mechanism by the same parents. Parents are cognizant of the threats posed by drunk driving, so they will more often provide alcohol for their teenagers and their friends to enjoy in the confines of their homes. This happens while they carry the car keys, and instruct that their teenager’s friends stay the night or get home with the help of a sober person. This is great in principle; however, practically speaking, its success rate is meager. The world is awash with numerous examples of disasters that happened as a result of parents going down this road. For example, three adolescents drowned in a lake adjacent to the home where they were drinking after the provision of alcohol by a parent for a teenage party. This occurred even after the parent took away the car keys. On a separate occasion, an adolescent broke her neck subsequently after tumbling down a stairwell after she had been taking alcohol provided at home by her parent. One more instance, an intoxicated teenager was run over by a car when he was going from a house party organized and funded by the host patents. Despite their good intentions, the provision of alcohol is counter-productive and negates their efforts (Winters et al., 2018).

Teenage drinking habits pose a myriad of risks. Teenagers who consume alcohol are “green” and, for the most part, show reduced tolerance degrees to alcohol consumption. This translates to them drinking a lot in a brief period to experience inebriation. Consequently, they could end up with a health-related mild case of alcohol poisoning or get seriously drunk, and this may force them to visit the hospital. Alcohol use is associated with other far-reaching downsides. Suicides and accidents are prominent among the killers of young souls in the US. These two fatal phenomena are connected directly with alcohol consumption. Numerous studies have investigated the impacts of alcohol use at a very young age. A 10% risk of alcoholism later in life is assigned to those adolescents who begin alcohol consumption at 21 years old and above. A 50% probability of being a hardcore drunkard at advanced stages of life is conversely assigned to those teenagers who start experimenting with alcohol at 14 years old or below. That represents an exponential spike in the likelihood of alcoholism later in life, contingent on the time of the first sip of alcohol.

Exposure to alcohol use is most pronounced for most youths when they get accepted into high school (LaBrie et al., 2010). For instance, they will visit their counterpart’s home where alcohol will be served. Parents should know when their teenage child has to go for a sleepover or a function at their friend’s place. The parents additionally need to communicate with the host parents and ensure their presence at the time of the occasion. Moreover, they should prohibit alcohol use. Despite these efforts, the host parents may lie about their whereabouts during these parties, and thus leading to abuse of drugs at the sleepover or party. Parents and adolescents should hold open and truthful conversations. Parents should reiterate their commitment to loving and supporting their teenage children, and they will offer them a ride home if they call them after a party, and they would be immune to ensuing questions. An amicable solution should be struck between the parents and the teenagers such that they would communicate in the event they get intoxicated instead of putting their lives at risk by riding care whose occupants are drunk.

Movies have perpetuated irresponsible behavior among teenagers through their depictions of alcohol use. Alcohol use is depicted as funny and humorous; however, the adverse impacts of alcohol and substance abuse are seldom shown (Grenard et al., 2013). Alcohol abuse is not only associated with fatalities from accidents; nonetheless, there exist numerous different non-lethal but severe drinking effects. Alcohol use in massive quantities is harmful to the development of the brain, and one is subject to risks such as sexual assault. Non-drinkers can likewise be affected by drunkards. This has been evidenced in many research findings involving students. Non-drinking students are similarly affected by their drinking colleagues, e.g., the intoxicated students may disturb their studies by shouting or have their property stolen so that the drinking friend can have money for drinking (Adams et al., 2012).

A teenager who is experimenting with drug abuse typically portrays behavioral changes that parents should be able to discern. Performance decline, abandoning of sports activities, as well as hanging out with friends who elicit bad, are some behavioral changes among them teenagers that parents need to look out for. Signs of a subtle nature need to be deciphered since when parents have a hunch their teenager is using drugs, he or she is using, and the situation is possibly significant than they imagine. Teenagers hide their alcohol use since they want to keep it a secret from their parents. Thus, parents have to be very observant. Moreover, parents and adolescents need to have an exchange frequently on the effects of drug and substance abuse. One conversation does not cut it; this should be habitual. Suspicions of alcohol use by parents should be made open. Parents should ask an outsider who is respected to hold an intimate exchange with them. In essence, support from outside sources should be sought. In-house handling of such dire circumstances does not cut it (Locatelli et al., 2012).

Alcohol consumption cuts across all spectrums. Substance abuse can be observed in low-income folks and well-off people as well and similar across all races and ethnicities (Wu et al., 2011). A stereotype exists which suggests that the use of alcohol is prominent amongst poor children who were brought up in the urban areas and amongst black people. However, the contrary appears to be accurate. The problem tends to be significant among white folks in middle-class and upper-middle-class social standing who reside in the suburbs. When parents exude responsibility when handling alcohol, they can let their adolescents take a little alcohol during family events (Brown, 2013). This instills a sense of responsibility in children. If parents do not drink, they should not start drinking just because they think it will help their children. Parents, therefore, need to model responsible behavior themselves. Parents cannot drink irresponsibly and then have the moral high-ground to tell their children not to take alcohol (Chakravarthy et al., 2013).

The astonishing number of children drinking underage may be a consequence of “baby boomers,” being allowed to drink at a tender age, thereby seeing nothing wrong with providing alcohol to the youthful. A permissive attitude of baby boomers in their parenting role has been occasioned by their heavy use of marijuana and alcohol. Consumption of Alcohol appears oddly unchanging over the decade; there are negligible rises and declines, but generally, it still is a problem that affects many adolescents across America.

References

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Winters, K. C., Botzet, A. M., Stinchfield, R., Gonzales-Castaneda, R., Finch, A. J., Piehler, T. F., and Hemze, A. (2018). Adolescent substance abuse treatment: A review of evidence-based research. In Adolescent Substance Abuse (pp. 141-171). Springer, Cham.

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