Later that afternoon when Larry went home after school, he had to explain his school discharge to his Mother and Father. His parents were “fairly old-style” and explained to Larry that getting kicked out of school was not a practical educational game plan. They explained to Larry that failing to graduate from high school would more likely than not be like a lead weight around his legs that could conceivably harm his educational aspirations for the remainder of his adult life. Moreover, Larry’s Mother and Father were very saddened that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his buddies in the second.

His parents explained to Larry that even though he may be young, he has to realize fairly rapidly that drinking is the route to pain, financial problems, failure, and ill health.

It was evident that his Mother and Father were absolutely in accord with Larry’s principal and explained to Larry that he needs to see Miss Johns, the school therapist. After his chat with his parents, Larry eventually agreed to see Miss Johns the next school day. So Larry called the school and made an appointment to see Miss Johns the next day during his second period class.

The Therapist Asks Larry if He Understands Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Actions Were Such a Cause For Concern By the School Administrators

When Larry got to his scheduled appointment with Miss Johns, she immediately surveyed all of the alcohol-related problems Larry had experienced and asked him if he knew why his recent alcohol-related behavior made the school administrators uneasy.

Quite candidly, Larry was unsure why the principal explained to him that he had to see a school psychologist. As he expressed to Miss Johns, why should he see a professional psychologist about his drinking circumstances? In view of the fact that nearly all of his friends drink as much if not more than he does, fundamentally, drinking shouldn’t be such a big deal. Stated differently, if just about everyone is drinking, why is this such a big thing?

Miss Johns asked Larry when he started to drink alcoholic beverages. He said that some of his older friends introduced him to drinking beer when he was twelve or thirteen years old and in the seventh grade.

Miss Johns explained to Larry that while his peers may indeed drink as much as he does and that they may be a negative influence on him, the facts are that he is the one who is getting suspended from school due to alcohol-related delinquency, absenteeism, and fighting, not his pals. In addition, Miss Johns also stressed the fact that Larry, and not his buddies, is the one who is failing and who is missing at least one day of class per week due to his alcohol related problems. Lastly, Miss Johns stressed the fact that because of his drinking situation, Larry is getting into a negative cycle of excessive drinking that can eventually destroy his dreams, hopes, and aspirations.

In short, Larry’s involvement with teen alcohol abuse was starting to thwart his ability to conduct himself like an accountable young man. As pronounced by Miss Johns, “Just because most of your classmates drink beer, hard liquor, wine, or wine coolers does not mean that it is the correct behavior for you.”

Larry Learns That Eventually He Must Claim Responsibility For Himself In Order to Steer Clear of Destructive, Unhealthy, Dangerous, and Damaging Consequences In the Future

Miss Johns informed Larry that one’s buddies can unquestionably influence a person in a negative manner, but that the individual herself or himself has to in the end claim responsibility for himself or herself in order to steer clear of dangerous, destructive, unhealthy, and damaging effects down the road.

Fortunately, Miss Johns was well equipped for her scheduled meeting with Larry. She showed him reports and research studies she had highlighted that summarized diverse drinking facts and statistics that applied to most people in general. Then she showed Larry quite a lot of data that applied especially to teenagers.

For example, Miss Johns explained the difference between alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse and told Larry that drinkers who continue to drink in an excessive manner habitually become alcohol dependent.

Miss Johns also articulated the concept of binge drinking that she defined as follows: ingesting five or more drinks in one sitting for males and consuming four or more drinks in one sitting for females.

The Therapist Conveys Several Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse Statistics and Facts

Then Miss Johns listed the following eight alcoholism facts and alcohol abuse statistics:

1. As demonstrated by the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, there are 105,000 yearly alcohol-related deaths in the United States because of drunk drivers and related medical conditions, injuries, or diseases.

2. Nearly one-fourth of all U.S. individuals who are admitted to general hospitals have drinking problems or are undiagnosed people who are addicted to alcohol who are being treated for the results of their irresponsible drinking.

3. Alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse are the third leading cause of preventable deaths in the U.S..

4. More than 7 percent of the population that is 18 years old and older — almost 13.8 million Americans — has drinking problems, including 8.1 million individuals who suffer from alcoholism.

5. 500,000 Americans who are addicted to alcohol are between the ages of 9 and 12.

6. As revealed by one U.S. research study of 18 to 24 year-old current drinkers who did not complete high school, roughly 60 percent started to drink before the age of 16.

7. Currently, around 14 million Americans, 1 in every 13 adults, are addicted to alcohol or are alcohol abusers.

8. As revealed by the research literature, non-alcoholic members of alcoholic’s families use ten times as much sick leave as families who do not display alcohol dependency or alcohol abuse.

Larry Receives A Much Needed Wake Up Call About the Long Term and the Short Term Effects of Youth Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

After Miss Johns articulated the aforementioned alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency statistics and facts, it was plain to see that what Miss Johns made known to Larry was a real jolt to him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only took the time to go over the short term and the long term consequences of alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse, but she also made the effort to authenticate what she was saying with alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse facts and statistics that related to people in general, and chiefly to underage drinkers.

Indeed, it was almost as if a light went on and Larry at once understood why he should not be engaging in hazardous and excessive drinking with or without his classmates any longer. Larry thanked Miss Johns for her concern and for the material she reviewed.

Miss Johns then asked Larry how he felt about getting a physical examination and an alcohol evaluation for the alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency treatment he would probably need.

Larry thought about this for few minutes and then agreed to get a complete physical examination and to go through a complete appraisal of his drinking situation so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction rehabilitation program right away.

Other substance abuse specialists believe that the increase in adolescent alcohol abuse is due to the toleration and accessibility of wine,liquor, and beer in our society.

Still other alcohol abuse specialists believe that many of our teens engage in injurious drinking due to the increased tension that they undergo.

From a slightly different perspective, since both parents in many families work full or part-time, the lack of parental supervision obviously has to play an important role in the increase in teenage alcohol abuse. And finally, a variety of alcohol addiction consultants articulate that the spread of youth alcohol abuse is due, at least partially, to our laissez-faire society.

Abusive Drinking and Coping Skills

One aspect of adolescent alcohol abuse that appears to be under reported in the substance abuse research literature, in spite of this, is the insufficiency of educational programs that teach adolescents how to further develop their coping skills so that their excessive drinking behavior is notably diminished or eradicated.

Stated another way, science has made obvious the fact that there is an indirect correlation between poor coping skills and excessive drinking. Basically, this means that the poorer the coping skills, the greater the prevalence of alcohol abuse. To the degree that this is a valid assertion, why isn’t coping skills instruction a key part of the academic curriculum in all of our elementary schools, junior high schools, and high schools?

A Society That Underscores Youth Coping Skills

Let us create a scenario for the purpose of explanation. Let us imagine a society in which all people are trained how to develop excellent coping skills all the way from kindergarten up to and including their senior year in high school.

In such a society, when life gets difficult, students who are “coping skills masters” will be able to respond in a healthier and more productive way, as opposed to others who are unsuccessful in their attempts to put their coping skills into practice.

Stated another way, students who display first rate coping skills will be more able to think clearly and exhibit first-class decision making as opposed to adolescents who, because they were unsuccessful in their attempts to implement good coping skills, are drawn to the “quick fix” of excessive drinking.

What would happen in the above “ideal” society, moreover, if adolescents not only obtained top shelf coping skills education but also obtained a first-rate education that stressed the short term and long term negative results associated with drug abuse and alcohol abuse? Emphasizing these drug and alcohol abuse facts, along with more advanced coping skills instruction, it is declared, would help students stay away from the noticeable appeal associated with teenage drinking and, consequently, would significantly diminish the destructive drinking behavior displayed by teens in our country.

Teen Hazardous Drinking: Conclusion

There are positively many legitimate reasons why so many of our teenagers drink in an abusive manner. Such a thorny problem demands an all-inclusive and more applicable preventative and educational response by our politicians, parents, educators, and students so that our teens can learn how to cope with life’s difficulties in a more productive and accountable manner instead of resorting to harmful drinking behavior to solve their difficulties.