+++ Underage Drinking: A Terrible Epidemic +++ By: Eric Rutan Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence are not only adult problems. They affect a significant number of adolescents and young adults between the ages of 12 and 20. Most boys start drinking at age 11, while girls start at age 13, on average. According to research by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, teens that begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to become alcoholics than those who begin drinking at the legal age of 21. Nearly half the teen population in the U.S. drinks on a regular basis. It has been estimated that over three million teenagers are full-blown alcoholics and millions more have serious drinking problems that they can’t manage on their own. The three leading causes of death for 15- to 24-year-olds are automobile crashes, homicides and suicides. Alcohol is a leading factor in all three. Alcohol is the leading reason for the spread of STDs, unwanted pregnancy, and the dramatic rise of dumbass stunts all over the country (I know I’ve seen plenty). Alcohol addiction is also associated with psychiatric problems such as depression, anxiety, oppositional defiant disorder, or antisocial personality disorder. Teens drink for many different reasons, but some of the more common ones are peer pressure, the need to experiment, the need to be social and fit in, to test their limits, and as an escape from whatever they are going through at the time. Every teen that has ever been to a party has been asked to take a drink, get drunk, or get wasted. Peer pressure is the leading reason why teens drink. This also goes along with the need to experiment and the need to fit in with their friends. Even though my friends know I don’t drink, they still ask me every time I go to a party. Some even act like I am insulting them by not drinking. If a teen’s friends are drinking, chances are they he/she will try it too. Some teens drink because it is easier for them to be social with their friends. Most teens say that there is less inhibition, anxiety, and awkwardness when you are drinking. Many teens also drink to temporarily escape problems at home or tough situations they are in. Those that make drinking a habit at a very young age find it very hard to stop. The most common and effective way for an individual to combat his or her addictive behavior is through a self-help support group, with advice and support from a health-care professional. 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. Parents are the most important deterrence of the consumption of alcohol. Those parents that are tolerant of drinking usually find themselves with troubled teens, incapable of stopping. Sometimes, even concerned parents can’t prevent teens from drinking, but if they don’t make any effort at all, then teens will look elsewhere for guidance. In any case, it is inevitably up to the teen whether he/she will decide to drink or not. Click here to read about other issues we've featured in the past

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