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Essay Subject: Discusses teenage drinking in U.S. Definition of problem, review of literature, suggested solutions.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Discusses teenage drinking in U.S. Definition of problem, review of literature, suggested solutions. Paper Introduction: Alcohol is the most widely used drug in America. It is over twice as popular among college students as marijuana and over five times as popular as cocaine (Donovan, 1988, p. 189). Yet the general perception is that these other drugs are a more serious problem. In 1988, more than 10,000 young people between the ages of 16 and 24 died as a result of its use. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the growing problem of adolescent alcoholism in America. Included in the research will be a definition of the problem, a review of the facts, statistics and studies developed on the problem and suggested solutions. As a misunderstood drug, alcohol has received the least publicity. Yet, according to Claudia Black, Ph.D, therapist and acknowledged expert on children of alcoholics, except for a brief period in the 1960s, alcohol has always been the number-one drug Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Time, 94. 5) Cut classes, grades drop. Conroy, M. When parents just say no. 4) Tendency to act first and think later, making choices thatmystify parents. Alcohol is the most widely used drug in America. Substance abuse prevention and treatment. 3. Asa result, the body becomes dehydrated and hyperactive which my causenausea, headaches, heartburn, thirst and giddiness. Genetic studies of children of alcoholicshave lent strong support to the theory that alcoholism (as well as otheraddictions) is an inherited condition (Avraham, 1988, p. Some parents view the issue of teenage drinking as anexercise in damage control. New York: William Morrow. 143). The clothing industry tends to take advantage of fads among adolescents. However, alcohol can be at the root of these problems: 1) Constant arguing with parents, friends and teachers. Krantz, P. (1988). Campus dryout. It is over twice aspopular among college students as marijuana and over five times as popularas cocaine (Donovan, 1988, p. 189). Groller, I. It's parents who influence children the most. 2) Withdrawal from family, friends, social activities. (1988, January 2 ). Surveys show that when parents reported their children having badalcohol, 51 percent said it had been with their permission. Time, 72-73. Children in America make decisions about how they will use drugs andalcohol between the fifth and eighth grades, and by the time they firstcome to school, many of their basic attitudes--toward authority andpersonal responsibility--have already been formed (Donovan, 1988, p. It crosses all ethnic,racial, sexual and economic lines. Youcha, G., & Seixas, J.S. Children are romanced by all of this, too. Alcohol abuse: What your childshould know. There has been a nationwide move in recent years to include alcoholeducation courses in schools. 6) Serious falls, cuts, accidents while under the influence.Fighting, leading to injuries (Krantz, 199 , p. Yet the general perception is thatthese other drugs are a more serious problem. "Four-fifths of the alcoholics in our study begandrinking regularly before the age of 18," notes Javad Kashani, professor ofpsychiatry at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine("Roots in Early Teens," 1988, p. References Avraham, R. Included in the research will be a definition ofthe problem, a review of the facts, statistics and studies developed on theproblem and suggested solutions. Spending alot of time alone in room. Won't let others near them. 2) Nearly half of all teens who commit suicide are intoxicated atthe time. Getting better. Some of the other frightening statistics are: 1) By senior year in high school, one out of every 2 studentsdrinks daily. 3). 4) Nearly one out of every three teens reports riding with anadolescent driver who was drunk. It is not easy to distinguish between alcoholism and the mood swingsof normal adolescence, says Dr. Fulton Caldwell, public health adviser atthe National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (Conroy, 1988, p.74). The President did not mentionthe untold American failure: Despite tougher law enforcement, widespreadpublicity and sweeping educational signs, alcohol remains the drug ofchoice along today's high school students and its popularity continuesunabated (Gibbs, 1988, p. 3) Depression which can cause fatigue, loss of appetite, lack ofenergy, complaints of boredom, feeling worthless or acting grandiose tocover feelings. Thisaltered state initiates three kinds of learning. (1989, March). Alcohol is not. 53). Is your child an alcoholic? 2 9). Alcohol is a "depressant," meaning it slows down the chemical actionof the brain and the nervous system (Polson and Miller, 1984, p. A child's development and education are severelyimpeded by the crises and neglect that occur when a parent is chemicallydependent. Drugs are considered deviant behavior in Americansociety. They find sterner attitudes and tactics, likeimposing curfews, impractical and unenlightened. Alcohol can serve to relieve a sense ofpowerlessness for a short period of time. Reichick, D. It is estimated that a child will see alcohol consumed ontelevision an average of 75, times before he or she reaches the legaldrinking age. Many instead walk a pathof moderation, keeping the lines of communication open. In 1988, President Reagan, in his State of the Union address, proudlycited an annual survey by the University of Michigan's Institute of SocialResearch that showed a sharp drop in the number of teenagers who had usedcocaine and other drugs in the past year. NewYork: Chelsea House. The problem stems somewhat from the public'sperception of alcohol. As well as dealing with the bombardment ofmedia glamorizing alcohol, many children must deal with alcoholic parents.Schools, therefore, are being forced to assume the responsibility foreducating children. (1988, June 6). Parents have torealize that drinking is as serious as smoking marijuana and other drugs,which means they dust be educated to the problem as well and they, aboveeveryone else, must take on the major responsibility for educating theirchildren. 41; Conroy, 1988, p. (1988, February). 72). 189). However, Kaye Durlak, aclinical psychologist and certified alcoholism counselor argues: They know whom they're reaching! Teenagers turn to alcohol for many reasons: availability, peerpressure and parental example being three of the main ones. 72). Experts all agree, however, thatthe dependency results in "not only serious bodily harm but seriouspersonality defects: the loss of self-respect, self-esteem, and self-confidence and the growth of a deep and painful self-hatred" (Avraham,1988, p. 19 ).Consequently, parents need to state strongly exactly what they see asacceptable and unacceptable behavior in their family and what will be theconsequences for breaking the family rules. First, the child learnsto use a substance to produce a high. Robertson, N. But the economic costs of alcoholic abuse aresuch higher than drugs as are the number of deaths related to alcohol abuse(Groller, 1988, p. It is recommended that a good time for parents to start discussionsare when children are in the fifth grade. In 1988, more than 1 , young people between the ages of 16 and 24 died as a result of its use.The purpose of this paper is to discuss the growing problem of adolescentalcoholism in America. Long before children get to the peer-pressure stage, their families have already shaped their personal values and behaviors (Donovan, 1988, p. A case in point are the beer T-shirtshave become a hit with adolescents. (1988, May). It is an age when they will wantto talk to you and it is often when temptations first start to surface.The idea is to open lines of communication before a problem has developedand a parent finds himself/herself dealing with a defensive teenager. This in the end,may be the factor that can make a difference when real trouble surfaces. They watch theirtelevision and film heroes drink on screen and get arrested off screen fordrunk driving. 26). When an addictive substance like alcohol is introduced, the body'sorgans build defenses against the intruder by building up a tolerance andattempting to become accustomed to the new substance. 14 ). Lastly, experts agree that ifthere's any one thing a parent can give a child to help them steer clear oftrouble it's a solid sense of self-worth (Youcha & Seixas, 1989, p. (1988, February). Second, he learns that it is easy tofeel good using substances. Teenagers are more likely to admit to drinkingthan other drugs because they know their parents consider it less of aproblem. 43). Is your child hooked on drugs oralcohol? Better Homes and Gardens, 41-43. New York: ArborHouse. 116). The beer companies respond that theshirts are marketed to those 21 years old and older and that they cannot beresponsible for what parents buy their children. USA Today, p. 94). The symbols of drugs and alcohol on shirts allow the wearer to identify with them" (Reichick, 1988, p. Though 92 percent of those surveyed in the University of Michigan'sstudy revealed they had tried alcohol at least once, only 26 percentbelieved daily drinking would threaten their health or safety, despitestatistics that prove otherwise. And, when it comes to teens' driving and alcohol the problem forparents multiplies. With constantpressure from friends, the teenager will drink until intoxicated. Not my kid. Traditionally thought of as an adult problem, alcoholism often beginsin the early teens. (1988). American drink to celebrate the birthof a child, a marriage, a new job, and so on. Even whenchildren of alcoholics are adopted or raised by nonalcoholic relatives,these children are four times more likely to become dependent themselves.The children or grandchildren appear to inherit factors that make them morevulnerable to its effects. Polson, B., & Miller, N. 44). Further, in 1986, officials told Congress that 4.6 million teenagersunder the age of 18 were in trouble at school, with parents and/or the lawbecause they drank to excess (Robertson, 1988, p. 3) In 1986, more that 3,5 teens died in alcohol-related carcrashes. Even though all states but Wyoming havenow raised the drinking age to 21 years of age and Mothers Against DrunkDriving (MD) has succeeded in pressuring a national crackdown on drunkdriving offenses, the impacts have not curbed the problem. 42). (1988, January 2 ). When the American public is asked which is worse, drugs or alcohol,most report alcohol. (1984). As a misunderstood drug, alcohol has received the least publicity.Yet, according to Claudia Black, Ph.D, therapist and acknowledged expert onchildren of alcoholics, except for a brief period in the 196 s, alcohol hasalways been the number-one drug problem in this country for adults andchildren alike (Donovan, 1988, p. Everywhere you look, advertising tellsyou things will be better if you have a drink in your hand (Polson &Miller, 1984, p. Parents Magazine, 189-2 . 5) Although 93 percent of children in grades 4-6 say that cocaine isa drug, only 21 percent think wine coolers are drugs (Conroy, 1988, p. The American Medical Association declared alcoholism a disease in the196 s for which the primary treatment was abstinence from the substance.Along with this it also has been discovered that alcoholism as a diseasehas a hereditary trait, which may help explain why some people becomealcoholics and others don't. Overdose effectsinclude insomnia, delirium, hallucinations, convulsions and loss of memory(Polson & Miller, 1984, p. It is the substance most parents have problems aboutwith their teenagers. These are outside symbols that say, 'I belong in a peer group.' Symbols take on a lot of power. Tolerance to alcoholcauses more and more of the substance to be needed to achieve the sameeffect, prompting the abuser to take higher doses: "And so the cycle isself-perpetuating: the need, the drug, the pleasure, the tolerance, theincrease in dosage, the addiction" (Avraham, 1988, p. Better Homesand Gardens, 72-75. (199 , February). Roots in early teens. Donovan, M.E. The message extends into other phases of life throughalcoholic-sponsored merchandising. What is mostdifficult for parents to understand is that because of American teenagersphysical maturity, it takes them only a year to reach the advanced stagesof alcoholism if abusing alcohol, where it may take adults 3 years toreach that point (Conroy, 1988, p. Gibbs, N. Parents Magazine, 26. The average age of starting regularalcohol use for these early drinkers was 13, but many actually begandrinking at age 9 or 11. 146).Chances are they still night try it, but will feel no need to becomedependent on it. Lastly, he learns how such of a substanceproduces how much pleasure (Polson & Miller, 1984, p. Drugs and alcohol: Which is worse? 53), Thus, using the"reward and punishment" approach, the child learns how to use alcohol.Further, since the teen is hiding the abuse from the parent, there is noinitial punishment for behavior, only reward. The Christian Century, 44. Drinking, drugs, andchildren. (1988, February 15). 1 9).Black says: Ye hear a lot about peer influence, but the role of peer influence has been misunderstood and exaggerated. Other reasons why people become alcoholics range from psychologicaldisorders to a need to reach a desirable state of mind unattainable underordinary life circumstances. 74). A great part of this misconception of alcohol's deadliness stems fromthe media's romanticizing of it and the fact that alcohol is enshrined innearly every major American ritual. Spuds and suds: Kids advertisebeer. Parents Magazine, 143-146.----------------------- 9 If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.