Teen Alcohol Abuse

"Once an individual has lost control of his or her drinking, it is difficult to go back to drinking moderate, more responsible amounts of alcohol."

"In a study of more than 450 American alcoholics and 80 heroin addicts, it was found that the absent father is a very typical occurrence. In fact, according to this study, it is the rule rather than the exception."

"Dependence on alcohol and drugs is perhaps the most serious national public health problem in the United States. It is prevalent among rich and poor, in all regions of the country, and all ethnic and social groups."

"If the alcoholic is not ready to reach out for help, efforts by friends and family to try to force him or her to admit to the problem, usually causes more problems. It's only when the consequences of their drinking become painful enough that alcoholics will they reach out for help."

"According to U.S. research statistics, the overwhelming majority of American youth cite their parents as the primary influence in their decisions about whether they drink alcohol or not."

"Accepting the fact that help is needed for an alcohol problem may not be easy. Keep in mind, however, that the sooner you get professional help, the better are your chances for a successful recovery."

"According to U.S. alcohol abuse researchers, 5% of people who experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms suffer symptoms so severe that they must be treated in a hospital or in an alcohol rehabilitation facility that specializes in detoxification."

"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 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."

"Studies have shown that inpatient detoxification programs are more effective and longer lasting than outpatient detox programs. The important issue here, however, is the following: the more severe the alcohol-related withdrawal symptoms, the more likely that inpatient detox programs should be used."

"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)."

"Lack of parental support, monitoring, and communication have been significantly related to frequency of drinking, heavy drinking, and drunkenness among adolescents. Harsh, inconsistent discipline and hostility or rejection toward children have also been found to significantly predict adolescent drinking and alcohol-related problems."

"Research shows that drug testing is extremely reliable and accurate when all the relevant aspects of the testing process are done properly."

"According to alcohol abuse and alcoholism research, beer is the drink most commonly consumed by U.S. people stopped for alcohol-impaired driving or involved in alcohol-related crashes."

"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."

"In one U.S. study, the overwhelming majority of surveyed youth (74% of 8-17 year-olds; 74% of 8-12 year-olds; 74% of 13-17 year-olds) cite their parents as the primary influence in their decisions about whether they drink alcohol or not."

"Fortunately, research has revealed quite a lot about what does and does not work in drug and alcohol abuse prevention at the individual, family, and at the community levels."

"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."