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Talk to Your Teens About Alcohol, But Don't Wait Until Graduation Day
Graduation is an exciting time for teens, and their friends and families...but it's also a time for transition, self-doubt, peer-pressure, and independence. Many teenagers still haven't fully developed the ability to predict the consequences of their negative behaviors, so parents need to talk to their children about the dangers of alcohol...before it becomes a problem..
Graduation's Here!
Graduation is a time to celebrate. But before your graduates party, take the time to talk with them about alcohol —- it just may save a life.
It's About Your Teen
A teenager’s brain is still developing and it is very sensitive to alcohol’s effects on judgment and decision-making.
Alcohol Can Be Tricky
If your graduates drink, they may temporarily feel elated and happy, but they should not be fooled. Ask them to consider these risks:
- Their inhibitions and memory soon become affected—so they may say and do things that they will regret and possibly will not remember doing at all.
- Their decision-making skills are also affected. They may become restless and aggressive. They may be more at risk for having an alcohol-related traffic crash, getting into fights, trashing a house, or making unwise decisions about sex.
Then there is what happens to their physical control—loss of balance, slurred speech, and blurred vision. Normal activities—even crossing a busy intersection—can become truly dangerous.
Too Much Alcohol Becomes a Deadly Poison
If your graduates drink enough, they will eventually get sleepy and pass out. Reflexes like gagging and breathing can be suppressed. That means they could vomit and choke to death or just stop breathing. They may even be at risk for alcohol poisoning.
Think About It!
If graduates drink too much, it can mean trips to the emergency room, arrests, and sexual assaults. They could put themselves and their friends in real danger. Ask them to consider this: Is that any way to celebrate?
Talk With Your Graduate
Research shows that parents do make a difference. Talking with your graduate about alcohol now could prevent serious problems later.
Remember... Tell your graduate to play it safe and party right at graduation. Graduates and alcohol can be a dangerous mix. Researchers have found that: 2.1 million students between the ages of 18 and 24 drove under the influence of alcohol (Source: Hingson, RW, et al, 2002); 2 million students between the ages of 12 to 20 engaged in heavy drinking, that is, drinking 5 or more drinks on an occasion, 5 or more times a month (Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2003); 1.5 million students between the ages of 12 through 17 met the criteria for admission to an alcohol treatment program (Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2003).
A Word About Alcohol Poisoning
Before the celebrations begin, take a few minutes to talk with your graduate about the dangers of alcohol poisoning. What is it?
Alcohol depresses nerves that control involuntary actions such as breathing and the gag reflex, which prevents choking. Someone who drinks a fatal dose of alcohol will eventually stop breathing. Even if someone survives an alcohol overdose, he or she can suffer irreversible brain damage. Rapid binge drinking (which often happens on a bet or a dare) is especially dangerous because the victim can drink a fatal dose before losing consciousness.
A person’s blood alcohol concentration can continue to rise even while he or she is passed out. Even after someone stops drinking, alcohol in the stomach and intestine continues to enter the bloodstream and circulate throughout the body. A person who appears to be sleeping it off may be in real danger.
What Should I Look For?
Critical signs of alcohol poisoning include mental confusion, stupor, coma, or the person cannot be roused; vomiting; seizures; slow (fewer than eight breaths per minute) or irregular (10 seconds or more between breaths) breathing; and hypothermia (low body temperature), bluish skin color, and paleness.
What Should I Do? Know the danger signals. If you suspect someone has alcohol poisoning, don’t wait for all the critical signs to be present. If you suspect an alcohol overdose, call 911 immediately for help.
Injury and Social Consequences
Underage alcohol use is more likely to kill young people than all illegal drugs combined.1,2 Some of the most serious and widespread alcohol–related problems among adolescents are discussed below.
Drinking and Driving. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among youth ages 15 to 20.4 Adolescents already are at increased risk through their relative lack of driving experience,5 and drivers younger than 21 are more susceptible than older drivers to the alcohol–induced impairment of driving skills.4,5 The rate of fatal crashes among alcohol–involved drivers between 16 and 20 years old is more than twice the rate for alcohol–involved drivers 21 and older.6
Suicide. Alcohol use interacts with conditions such as depression and stress to contribute to suicide, the third leading cause of death among people between the ages of 14 and 25.7,8 In one study, 37 percent of eighth grade females who drank heavily reported attempting suicide, compared with 11 percent who did not drink.9.
Sexual Assault. Sexual assault, including rape, occurs most commonly among women in late adolescence and early adulthood, usually within the context of a date.10 In one survey, approximately 10 percent of female high school students reported having been raped.1 Research suggests that alcohol use by the offender, the victim, or both, increases the likelihood of sexual assault by a male acquaintance.11
High–Risk Sex. Research has associated adolescent alcohol use with high–risk sex (for example, having multiple sexual partners and failing to use condoms). The consequences of high–risk sex also are common in this age group, particularly unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS.1 According to a recent study, the link between high–risk sex and drinking is affected by the quantity of alcohol consumed. The probability of sexual intercourse is increased by drinking amounts of alcohol sufficient to impair judgment, but decreased by drinking heavier amounts that result in feelings of nausea, passing out, or mental confusion.12
What You Can Do in the Home
As a parent or caregiver, you play a vital role in influencing your child. You serve as a role model on the use of alcohol, control the availability of alcohol in your home, and help set your child's expectations concerning drinking behaviors. A recent study shows that children whose parents are involved in their lives — hold regular conversations, attend after-school events, and listen to their problems — are less likely to drink or smoke.
In the home, take these steps:
- Set a good example for your children regarding the use of alcohol.
- Encourage your children to talk with you about their problems and concerns.
- Get to know your children's friends and discuss ways your children can avoid drinking when they are feeling pressured by peers.
- Talk to other parents about ways to send a consistent, clear message that underage drinking is not acceptable behavior or a "rite of passage."
- Encourage your children to participate in supervised activities and events that are challenging, fun, and alcohol free.
- Learn the warning signs that indicate your children may be drinking and act promptly to get help.
- Make sure you're at home for all your children's parties and be sure those parties are alcohol free.
Continue reading about the children and alcohol with more resources located at My ParenTime's Family Community:
Click here to read other articles by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Opening paragraph Copyright © MyParenTime.com. "Graduation" Information Copyright © National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "What You Can Do in the Home:" Copyright © Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free, and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Reprinted with permission.
Resources:
1Grunbaum, J.A.; Kann, L.; Kinchen, S.A.; et al. Youth risk behavior surveillance: United States, 2001. MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 51(SS0 4): 1–62, 2002.
2Young, S.E.; Corley, R.P.; Stallings, M.C.; et al. Substance use, abuse and dependence in adolescence: Prevalence, symptom profiles and correlates. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 68(3):309–322, 2002.
4National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Traffic Safety Facts 2000: Young Drivers. DOT HS–809–336. Washington, DC: NHTSA, 2001.
5National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Alcohol and transportation safety. Alcohol Alert No. 52. Rockville, MD: NIAAA, 2001.
6Yi, H.Y.; Williams, G.D.; and Dufour, M.C. Trends in Alcohol–Related Fatal Crashes, United States, 1979–99. Surveillance Report No. 56. Bethesda, MD: NIAAA, 2001.
7Anderson, R.N. Deaths: Leading Causes for 1999. National Vital Statistics Reports 49(11). DHHS Pub. No. PHS 20012–1120. Hyattsville, MD: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2001.
8Garlow, S.J. Age, gender, and ethnicity differences in patterns of cocaine and ethanol use preceding suicide. American Journal of Psychiatry 159(4):615–619, 2002.
9Windle, M.; Miller–Tutzauer, C.; and Domenico, D. Alcohol use, suicidal behavior, and risky activities among adolescents. Journal of Research on Adolescence 2(4):317–330, 1992.
10Abbey, A.; Zawacki, T.; Buck, P.O.; et al. Alcohol and sexual assault. Alcohol Research & Health 25(1):43–51, 2001.
11Abbey, A. Alcohol–related sexual assault: A common problem among college students. Journal of Studies on Alcohol (Suppl. 14):118–128, 2002.
12Sen, G. Does alcohol increase the risk of sexual intercourse among adolescents? Evidence from the NLSY97. Journal of Health Economics 21: 1085–1093, 2002.
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