MADD offers sobering facts on kids and alcohol

It’s teen party season, with spring break on and prom and graduation bashes not far behind.

And for parents of teens come more worries about safety and the ever-present temptation for the kids to drink.

Janet Mondshein, executive director of the Miami chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, offers some sobering facts in a chat with MomsMiami.
The average age of a first-time drinker is 12. Some parents give it to the kids. Why this is a bad idea:
The earlier a child drinks, the more likely he will become alcohol-dependent. If a child drinks before 15, he is five times more likely to develop alcohol issues than if he started drinking at 21.
About 5,000 young people die each year as a result of underage drinking. That includes auto wrecks, homicides, suicides and other accidents.
Alcohol affects young developing brains differently than adult brains. It can cause permanent brain damage and affect memory and impulse control. It can lead to poor performance in school. It affects judgment, which can lead to unwanted pregnancies, rape, suicide and criminal behavior.
Well-meaning parents think if a child drinks at home, under parental supervision, she won’t be tempted to go out and get wild and drink elsewhere. But kids don’t distinguish between the two: Permission is permission.
Serving alcohol to minors — even at a graduation or prom party — is against the law. And if something happens as a result of serving alcohol to minors, you can be held responsible and prosecuted.
If you believe your child has an alcohol or drug problem, call experts like Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-A-Teen or MADD, a family doctor or hotline for advice. If your child is not responding to you, get her to talk to someone else. Some kids don’t want to be lectured by parents. Find other parents going through the same thing for support.
If you drink in front of the kids, do so moderately and teach them that there are things kids can’t do that adults can.
Teach your kids to make good choices. Have a close relationship and open dialog from when they’re very little and you have a good chance of raising responsible kids.

Merced Sun-Star

It’s teen party season, with spring break on and prom and graduation bashes not far behind.

And for parents of teens come more worries about safety and the ever-present temptation for the kids to drink.

Janet Mondshein, executive director of the Miami chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, offers some sobering facts in a chat with MomsMiami.

The average age of a first-time drinker is 12. Some parents give it to the kids. Why this is a bad idea:

The earlier a child drinks, the more likely he will become alcohol-dependent. If a child drinks before 15, he is five times more likely to develop alcohol issues than if he started drinking at 21.

About 5,000 young people die each year as a result of underage drinking. That includes auto wrecks, homicides, suicides and other accidents.

Alcohol affects young developing brains differently than adult brains. It can cause permanent brain damage and affect memory and impulse control. It can lead to poor performance in school. It affects judgment, which can lead to unwanted pregnancies, rape, suicide and criminal behavior.

Well-meaning parents think if a child drinks at home, under parental supervision, she won’t be tempted to go out and get wild and drink elsewhere. But kids don’t distinguish between the two: Permission is permission.

Serving alcohol to minors — even at a graduation or prom party — is against the law. And if something happens as a result of serving alcohol to minors, you can be held responsible and prosecuted.

If you believe your child has an alcohol or drug problem, call experts like Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-A-Teen or MADD, a family doctor or hotline for advice. If your child is not responding to you, get her to talk to someone else. Some kids don’t want to be lectured by parents. Find other parents going through the same thing for support.

If you drink in front of the kids, do so moderately and teach them that there are things kids can’t do that adults can.

Teach your kids to make good choices. Have a close relationship and open dialog from when they’re very little and you have a good chance of raising responsible kids.

source: Merced Sun-Star

More Treatment & Detox Articles

Medical director: It's all in the brain

Managers may not be able to increase productivity by giving their employees serotonin — well, legally — but they can boost production by making the work area a little more brain-friendly. Daniel Amen, the medical director of Amen Clinics, focuses on making brain theory function in the day-to-day grind. His audience at California State University,….

Problem drinking ‘hits elderly’

Alcohol misuse in people aged over 60 is becoming a widespread problem, research suggests. A survey for charity Foundation66 found over one in eight (13%) admitted to drinking more following retirement. Of these, one in five (19%) uses alcohol because of depression, and one in eight (13%) drinks to deal with bereavement. The charity is….

Program sets record straight on underage drinking

There’s good news and there’s bad news when it comes to underage drinking in Pee Dee. The good news is that incidents of underage drinking seem to be on the decline. The bad news is that those who do drink are drinking more than ever, according to Circle Park Prevention Services data. “We’ve have some….

How can dual diagnosis be treated

A person with Dual diagnosis is affected with substance abuse and mental health disorder at the same time. Therefore, it is very important to find out the cause of substance abuse and mental health problem, individually in these people and to study and then draft out a proper method for the diagnosis of this dual….

Combination Benefits Patients With Comorbid Depression, Alcoholism

Treatment that combines sertraline and naltrexone appears to be superior to treatment with either drug alone, as well as to placebo, for individuals with depression and alcohol dependence. Patients receiving the combination treatment were more likely to achieve abstinence and had delayed relapse to heavy drinking, according to a report posted in the March 15….