Today, many teenagers falsely believe that they are invulnerable to alcohol addiction, leading to a lack of true understanding about this issue.
This paper will examine the indicators of alcoholism in teenagers and its underlying factors, which encompass stress, familial issues, and the yearning for social acceptance. Alcoholic beverages primarily consist of ethyl alcohol or ethanol—a transparent and tasteless substance formed through the fermentation of sugars using yeast spores.
The quantity of alcohol manufactured is influenced by the sugar type and quantity in the initial mixture, the yeast type utilized, and the temperature maintained during fermentation. American beers, composed of malted barley and hops (the matured and dried cones of the hop plant), contain approximately 3% to 6% alcohol. Most wines are fermented from grapes or berries and generally have a maximum alcohol content of around 15%. However, certain wines, like cherry or port wines, may be fortified with extra ethanol alcohol, thereby attaining an alcohol content of up to 20%.
Alliant Health Systems in Louisville, Ky. suggests that teenagers frequently face intense pressure to succeed during their unpredictable adolescent years. This pressure may lead them to seek an outlet if they perceive themselves as failures at home or school. It is often noticed that teenagers witness their parents turning to alcohol as a way of dealing with stress.
This is an example that is provided for them. When teenagers go to see a movie, they often witness their favorite movie actors or actresses getting drunk, which gives them the impression that it is acceptable for them to do the same. However, they are unaware that this behavior can have negative consequences in the future. Additionally, if teenagers observe their parents experiencing marital problems, it can lead them to engage in drinking as a coping mechanism. Furthermore, the desire to be accepted and popular among their peers often motivates teenagers to start drinking.
According to Lang (23), the notion of being a “real man or woman” is often linked to consuming excessive amounts of alcohol. This belief is strengthened by observing adults who engage in heavy drinking and celebrities who depict drunkenness on screen, leading teenagers to mistakenly view drinking as trendy and desirable. It is worrisome that study (19) reports 47.9% of high school seniors consume alcohol monthly.
of individuals and 42.7% of ninth graders regularly consume alcohol, with 12% of ninth graders drinking alcohol weekly.
Casey 1 states that the regular alcohol consumption among seventh graders is at 2%, whereas sixth graders have a percentage of 6.6%. The survey conducted in 1989 shows no notable change in the consistent alcohol intake within these grade levels.
Crime and alcohol, along with other drugs (AOD), have a significant correlation. Annually, there are more than 1.1 million arrests related to illegal drug violations, approximately 1.4 million arrests for driving under the influence, about 480,000 arrests for liquor law violations, and roughly 704,000 arrests for drunkenness. In total, these infractions lead to around 4 million arrests.
According to Lang (33), alcohol and other drug statutory crimes make up over 33% of total arrests in the country, resulting in one million arrests. The impact of alcohol on impaired judgment and violence plays a significant role in these crimes related to alcohol. Offenses such as rape, fights, assaults causing injury, manslaughter, and homicide frequently involve individuals who were either intoxicated or both the perpetrator and victim were affected by it.
The cost of crime related to alcohol and other drugs (AOD) is $61.8 billion annually. Additionally, a significant proportion of individuals engaged in violent behavior are also users of illicit substances such as PCP and steroids, which can stimulate aggressive conduct.
Individuals with a predisposition for aggression may display aggressive behavior when consuming alcohol and drugs. The significance of addressing substance abuse issues is apparent from the following data: Alcohol plays a role in 68% of manslaughter cases, 62% of assault incidents, 54% of murder or attempted murder cases, 48% of robberies, and 44% of burglaries. Among incarcerated inmates, 42.2% of those convicted for rape reported being under the influence of alcohol or a combination of alcohol and drugs during the offense.
Over 50% of men and women voluntarily tested and arrested for property crimes, such as burglary, larceny, and robbery in 1990, showed positive results indicating illicit drug use. In New York City in 1987, nearly two-thirds of reported child abuse and neglect cases were associated with parental alcohol and other drug (AOD) abuse. In 1992, a total of 6,839 deaths were linked to alcohol. Among these fatalities, 1,154 were directly caused by alcohol-related problems while the remaining 5,685 were indirectly attributed to alcohol.
From 1985 to 1992, alcohol-related causes accounted for 9.4% of all deaths, with a consistent number of deaths during this period. Additionally, there were a total of 74 direct alcohol-related deaths.
Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis make up 8% of the cases, while alcohol dependence syndrome, toxic effects of alcohol, and alcoholic psychoses collectively account for the remaining percentages: 18.2%, 2.2%, and 2% respectively.
The prevalence rates for alcohol-related conditions are as follows: 0% for cardiomyopathy induced by alcoholism and 2.0% for gastritis induced by alcohol, with the majority of deaths among people suffering from alcoholism occurring in men (72%).
4% of men are affected by the reason for developing alcoholism. When students require someone to confide in, 50.4% prefer discussing their problems with a peer, while 62% would choose a parent and 39% would select another individual.
1% of adults are friends and 30.4% are non-parent relatives.
In school, 27.2% of sixth graders and an average of 12%
Trust in teachers is low among seventh graders, ninth graders, and seniors, with only 1 percent expressing confidence in them. In comparison, an average of 13.2 percent trust coaches. The overall percentage of students trusting any authority figure has declined over the past four years. However, there was a temporary rise in trust from 1991 to 1993 among sixth and seventh graders who indicated they would seek parental advice for drug concerns.
Alcoholic’s Anonymous does not involve itself in alcoholism research, medical or psychiatric treatment, education, or advocacy. Nonetheless, individual members are permitted to engage in these activities.
The Fellowship has adopted a strategy of collaborating with other alcoholism-focused organizations without forming official connections. In contrast, Alcoholics Anonymous has a longstanding policy of neither accepting nor actively pursuing financial support from external sources. Additionally, A.A. members make efforts to maintain their personal anonymity in different media platforms and public situations.
A wide range of individuals, including business people, spiritual leaders, civic groups, law enforcement officers, health and welfare personnel, educators, representatives of military establishments, institutional authorities, representatives of organized labor and others can benefit from the experience of A. A. However, it is important to mention that A.A. does not endorse or support programs related to alcoholism that are not aligned with its main objective.
The trustees’ Committee on Cooperation with the Professional Community oversees A.A.’s relationships with professional groups, agencies, facilities, and individuals in the United States and Canada. Their primary focus is on promoting mutual understanding and cooperation between A.A. members and those involved in addressing alcoholism.
Student Life Alcohol and Drug Education Programs offer classes for alcohol and drug prevention and education with the goal of promoting responsible decision-making regarding substance use. These courses are mandatory for students involved in alcohol-related incidents as a means of intervention and education.
Both formal and informal assessments are conducted for students in all classes, including the Alcohol Education Workshop. Informally assessed individuals in other classes may be directed to undergo professional assessment. The lack of a clear and targeted plan to tackle the problem of drinking is evident when examining American public policy on this matter.
Policymakers have chosen to simplify the understanding of alcoholism instead of recognizing its complexity. As a result, resources have been allocated to address the issue among a specific group, although it is only a fraction of the overall drinking problems in the country. It is important for us to confront our ambivalent feelings about the societal implications of drinking. Although this issue extends beyond teenagers, they can be an excellent starting point for addressing the problem.
Ultimately, they will determine the alcohol policy for future generations.
