The teen years are a prime time for experimentation and the potential for substantial involvement in alcohol consumption. In fact, studies show that most teens try their first drink of alcohol by the time they are 15 and that more than 30% of teens have at least tried drinking by the time they are 16. The level of alcohol abuse among teenagers has increased over the past 10 years to more than 70% of all teens having tried alcohol and more than 21% of teens abusing alcohol regularly.
Regardless of the age at which a teen starts drinking, it seems that the primary reasons why teens abuse alcohol tend to be the same—they are:
Studies have found that more teens abuse alcohol and other substances during the summer months than any other time of the year. This is followed closely by the holiday season during which most teens have an extended Christmas break and then closely behind, Spring Break causes much concern. Alcohol abuse during these times of year is prompted by boredom, a lack of parental guidance and interaction, and teens simply having too much time on their hands.
Parents have the difficult challenge of finding ways to keep their kids safe. Preventing alcohol abuse among a teenager can be a difficult process—after all, you cannot follow a teen around everywhere he or she goes to make sure that they don’t drink—so what is a parent to do?
Parents can take a proactive stance on preventing alcohol abuse by:
Resources:
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/yrbs/pdf/us_alcohol_trend_yrbs.pdf
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