Or your child was rushed to the hospital, victim of alcohol poisoning because he or she overdid it at a party.
Those are the usual fears that parents have regarding their children and alcohol. But other problems related to teen drinking can be just as devastating.
As described in articles by Globe Gazette reporter Kristen Buehner, published last Sunday and Monday, Iowa is among the states with the highest level in the country of binge drinking by persons age 12 to 20. In fact, Iowa ranks fourth.
According to surveys and federal statistics, nearly half of eighth-graders — 13- and 14-year-olds — have had at least one drink and more than 20 percent have been drunk. Some kids begin drinking in elementary school.
It’s deadly dangerous for many reasons. Anyone who says, “Well, at least it’s only booze, not drugs,” should know that, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol is the leading contributor to death among teenagers. Teenage drinking contributes to the high rate of teenage car crashes, traumatic injuries, suicide, homicide and date rape.
Alcohol is by far the most used and abused drug among America’s teenagers today. Alcohol is more likely to kill young people than all illegal drugs combined, according to the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention.
Also, teens who “graduate” to illegal drugs such as marijuana, cocaine or methamphetamine often do so while under the influence of alcohol, according to Jay Pedelty, prevention specialist at Prairie Ridge Addiction Treatment Services in Mason City.
Youths who drink are 7.5 times more likely to use any illicit drug, 22 times more likely to use marijuana and 50 times more likely to use cocaine than kids who never drank, according to the Institute of Medicine National Research Council.
And teenage drinking can lead to a lifetime of problems. Students who begin drinking one or more drinks twice a month or more at age 17 have a 25 percent chance of developing alcoholism, Pedelty said. If they begin at age 15, they have a 40 percent chance; at age 14, a 50 percent chance, and at age 10, a 100 percent chance.
The source of most kids’ drinking is alcohol pilfered from the home refrigerator or liquor cabinet, Pedelty said. Surprisingly, some parents knowingly supply alcohol, reasoning that they’d rather have their children partying at home than somewhere else or especially while driving. The problem is that such enabling behavior only encourages drinking at other places in addition to home.
The good news is there are ways to combat teen drinking. Rolena Hadwiger, manager of Prevention Services at Prairie Ridge, suggests tips for parents, including:
-- Establish and maintain good communication with your teens. Talk with them about alcohol and listen to their pressures and problems.
-- Make clear rules and enforce them with consistency and appropriate consequences.
-- Be a positive role model. Provide an example consistent with what you say.
-- Monitor your teens’ activities. Ask questions about what, with whom, for how long and where. Get to know their friends and the other parents as well. Provide an alcohol-free environment for them to hang out in.
In addition, some North Iowa programs are showing success in fighting teen drinking by enlisting peer pressure. Such groups as the Worth County Asset Team Coalition (WCAT), Que Pasa? (People Against Substance Abuse) and Project Northland are showing that the same pressure that often causes teens to drink can be effective in telling them they don’t have to.
It takes a united effort, both in the home and in the community, to curb teen drinking. But the reward is young people who are safer, healthier and better equipped for their future. Who can argue with that?
Olsen wrote on Nov 26, 2006 10:16 AM: