Teen Alcohol Abuse

"According to alcoholism demographics, the three leading causes of death for individuals between the ages of 15 and 24 are suicides, homicides, and vehicle accidents. Unfortunately, the presence of alcohol is a leading determinant in all three of these causes of death. These findings emphasize the need in our country for more relevant educational, preventative, treatment, and intervention efforts that target all individuals, especially teenagers."

"According to alcoholism research, as an individual engages in a regular habit of drinking, chemical changes in the brain take place. Alcohol consumption depletes gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the chemical responsible for inhibiting impulsiveness, and it increases the production of glutamate (which excites the nervous system) and norepenephrine (a stress-producing hormone)."

"Addiction treatment has many forms, but effective treatment will address physical, psychological, emotional and social problems and will involve family members. Make an appointment at a treatment center and attend meetings of local self-help groups to better understand what your loved one is going through. Recovery is much more effective with support from family members and friends."

"It seems that a lot of people focus more on the treatment of alcoholism than on the treatment of alcohol abuse. Clearly, one of the reasons for this is that alcoholism is a more serious medical condition than alcohol abuse. There is, however, a convincing argument for the treatment of alcohol abuse BEFORE an individual's abusive and hazardous drinking escalates and becomes alcohol dependency."

"Illegal drugs are not the only substances that can be abused. Indeed, alcohol, prescription and over-the-counter medications, inhalants and solvents, and even coffee and cigarettes, can all be used to harmful excess. Theoretically, almost any substance can be abused."

"According to a report published by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, eighty-seven percent of adults who drink alcoholic beverages had their first drink before the age of twenty-one."

"Alcohol abuse and alcoholism research demonstrates the fact that if you consume alcoholic beverages, it's important to know whether your drinking patterns are safe, risky or harmful. Answering these questions will take only a few minutes, and will generate personalized results based on your age, gender and drinking patterns."

"In the United States, 95% of alcoholics die from their disease and die approximately 15 years earlier than their normal life expectancy."

"There are hundreds if not thousands of clinics, hospitals, and other facilities in the United States provide alcohol detox, rehabilitation, and alcohol treatment services. These treatment options range from short-term in-patient, residential hospitalization to long-term, outpatient education, therapy, and counseling."

"If you suspect that a person has alcohol poisoning or is overdosing on alcohol, get immediate medical assistance (by calling 911), even if the person is underage."

"According to the research literature, in the U.S., alcohol is linked with an estimated 5,000 deaths in people under age 21 each year. This is more deaths than from all the illegal drugs combined."

"Even though a number of medications have been effective in treating alcoholism, there is, however, no 'magic bullet.' That is, no single medication exists that is effective in every situation or with every person."

"According to U.S. alcoholism researchers, risk is not destiny. Just because alcoholism tends to run in families doesn't mean that a child of an alcoholic parent will automatically become an alcoholic too."

"According to one U.S. alcoholism study, of the 940,000 people who said they needed alcohol or drug abuse treatment in a specialty facility, only 314,000 made an effort to get treatment, while 625,000 made no effort."

"One very typical belief among many people is that drug abusers should be able to quit taking drugs if they are only willing to change their behavior. What people often fail to comprehend is the complexity of drug addiction-that it is a disease that impacts the brain and because of this, quitting drug abuse is not simply a matter of willpower."

"If you drink to an excess, you may consume more alcohol than your body can metabolize and eliminate. Under these circumstances, the body and the brain may become "overloaded" and result in alcohol poisoning. If the amount of alcohol is great enough, the body and the brain will 'shut down' and the person can die as a result."

"It is important to note that alcohol overdose doesn't only occur from any one heavy drinking incident, but may also occur from a constant infusion of alcohol in the blood stream."

"Children who are drinking alcohol by 7th grade are more likely to suffer employment problems, abuse other drugs, and commit criminal and violent acts once they reach young adulthood, according to a RAND Health study."

"Whether a baby's alcohol or drug-caused health problems will continue as the child grows older is not always known. Medical research does show, however, that children born to mothers who used marijuana and or alcohol regularly during pregnancy may have trouble concentrating, when they get older."

"If you drink to an excess, you may consume more alcohol than your body can metabolize and eliminate. Under these circumstances, the body and the brain may become "overloaded" and result in alcohol poisoning. If the amount of alcohol is great enough, the body and the brain will 'shut down' and the person can die as a result."

"According to a 2007 Science Daily report, kids who drink to help them deal with anger or frustration issues are not likely to benefit from a prevention program developed for kids who are just experimenting with alcohol."

"Research demonstrates the fact that if someone is not willing to be honest about their drinking habits, it is difficult, if not impossible, to accurately diagnose alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence."

"According to the research literature, in the U.S., alcohol is linked with an estimated 5,000 deaths in people under age 21 each year. This is more deaths than from all the illegal drugs combined."

"The effects of many medications are strengthened by alcohol, while others are inhibited. Of particular importance is its reinforcing effect on anti-anxiety drugs, sedatives, antidepressants, and anti-psychotic medications."

"The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that the 21-year-old minimum drinking age laws have saved 21,887 lives since the mid-1970s."

"The drug and alcohol abuse research literature reveals that addicts have a propensity to involve themselves in substance abuse rather than using more responsible and healthy coping mechanisms when experiencing anger, frustration, stress, or anxiety in their daily lives."

"Fetal alcohol syndrome is a combination of physical and mental birth defects that affects about 6% of the babies born to U.S. women who are alcohol abusers or alcoholics."

"It is important for drinkers to realize that when they frequently abuse alcohol on a regular basis, they increase the risk of becoming an alcoholic."

"More than 2 million Americans suffer from alcohol-related liver disease. Some drinkers, moreover, develop alcoholic hepatitis (that is, an inflammation of the liver) as a result of long-term heavy drinking."