Alcohol

Alcohol and Peer Pressure Did you know that children who begin drinking alcohol before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcoholism in adulthood than those children who do not begin consuming alcohol until the legal age of 21?

If your friend or loved one has one or more of the following signs, he or she may have a problem with drugs or alcohol:

· getting high on drugs or drunk on a regular basis
· lying about the amount of drugs they are using
· avoiding you and others to get high or drunk

· giving up activities such as sports, homework, or hanging out with friends who don't use drugs or drink
· having to use more marijuana or other illicit drugs to get the same effects
· constantly talking about using drugs or drinking
· believing that in order to have fun they need to drink or use marijuana or other drugs
· pressuring others to use drugs or drink
· getting into trouble with the law
· taking risks, including sexual risks and driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs
· feeling run-down, hopeless, depressed, or even suicidal
· suspension from school for an alcohol- or drug-related incident
· missing work or poor work performance because of drinkingor drug use

50% of juvenile legal cases involve alcohol

There are other social and health consequences which make underage drinking such a serious public health problem. Adolescent drinking is associated with risky sexual behaviors that can lead to AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancies. Alcohol contributes to academic failure and dropping out of school. In addition, underage drinkers are more likely to become perpetrators or victims of rape, assault, robbery, murder and other violent crimes. This has put a major burden on our juvenile justice system which reports over 50% of their cases involve alcohol use as a contributing factor.

Teen Alcoholism - one of three leading causes of teenage death

According to a recent national study, alcohol is the drug most frequently used by American teenagers. It is consumed more frequently than all other illicit drugs combined, and is the drug most likely to be associated with injury or death. Alcohol is a drug that can affect judgment, coordination and long-term health. It is involved in teen automobile crashes, homicides and suicides--the three leading causes of teen deaths.

Alcohol and ADD

ADHD is caused by a chemical imbalance in a person's brain. If a teen is taking a stimulant medication to try to correct that imbalance, and then use other drugs such as marijuana (which affect brain dopamine levels), they wreak havoc with an already-imbalanced system. Medications will not be as effective, and the teen will be more impaired in his or her functioning. Taking stimulants also affects the metabolism of alcohol in their bodies. Mixing the two can result in higher blood alcohol levels and increase the risk of alcohol poisoning.

There is help:

You are not alone. If you have a teen in your family who is falling or has fallen victim to alcohol abuse, we can help. There are many quality programs available to help. We have programs that can turn your teen around. Alcohol abuse is one of the most deadly of teen addictions. Alcohol seems so harmless but can destroy the life of a teen and his or her family. Call now. We can help.

Call us today. We can help.