My young friend Allen, at the age of 15, was found close to death on the sidewalk near a Canyon Country park after drinking a quart of vodka in 15 minutes. Lucky for him, his friend called an ambulance and his parents. They saved his life. Year after year, despite the best efforts of parents and teachers, there are headlines across the nation (and in Santa Clarita) about teen car crashes after an exciting evening at the prom when those who attend, attend after prom parties and imbibe. A recent attempt of teen partiers to sober up a friend who was severely drunk almost killed her for lack of knowledge about alcohol poisoning. And while she made it to the hospital, her parents held vigil through the night hoping she would live. She did, but just barely. One teenager recently told me about drinking 10 shot glasses worth of alcohol at a teen party in a two-hour time period. Another who loves to party cried as she shared how she drinks, blackouts from her drinking, and has been sexually assaulted while drunk.
Sadly, many teens are first presented with alcohol in their own living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens. The wink and the nod when acknowledging fake identifications and selling teens alcohol, is just as prevalent. How many of you have ever been “shoulder tapped” at a local liquor store and been asked by a teen to buy alcohol? And how many of you did, thinking it is harmless and teens have the right to party? I know, you told yourself you did it as a kid and you turned out fine.
It only takes a visit to Santa Clarita’s Central Park Youth Grove Memorial to see the devastating effects alcohol has had on Santa Clarita youth and their driving – theirs or someone else’s. Alcohol is a drug, as surely as cocaine and marijuana are, and for many of our country’s young people, alcohol is the number one drug of choice. In fact, teens use alcohol more frequently and heavily than all other illicit drugs combined. While some parents may feel relieved that their teen is “only” drinking, it’s important to remember that alcohol is a powerful, mood-altering drug.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, alcohol is the number one drug of choice for children and adolescents, and its use is increasing. Each day, more than 7,000 kids in the United States under the 12 take their first drink – many boys at the age of 11 and many girls at the age of 13. And sometime as young as nine and 10 be they boys or girls.
The media is saturated with messages that equate alcohol with having a good time. From television and radio to popular teen magazines and the Internet, teens are bombarded with the “it’s ok to drink” message. Unfortunately, no matter what the advertising vehicle is, these ads never show or tell the deadly consequences of teenage alcohol use.
Alcohol is a drug that can affect judgment, coordination, and long-term health, and research suggests that early use of alcohol by teenagers may contribute significantly to dependence on alcohol and other drugs later in life, with 40 percent of children who begin using alcohol before the age of 13 become alcoholics at some point in their lives. Alcohol is the number one drug of choice among America’s youth and is a factor in the four leading causes of death among persons ages 10 to 24.
Not only does alcohol affect the mind and body in unpredictable ways, teens lack the judgment and coping skills to handle alcohol wisely.
We know that significant brain development continues through adolescents. A recent study by the National Institute of Health presents the first concrete evidence that heavy alcohol use can impair brain function in adolescents, causing, in many cases, irreversible damage.
Alcohol-related traffic accidents are a major cause of death and disability among teens. Alcohol use also is linked with the deaths of young people by drowning, fire, suicide and homicide.
Teens that use alcohol are more likely to become sexually active at earlier ages, to have sexual intercourse more often, and to have unprotected sex more than teens who do not drink.
Young people who drink are more likely than others to be victims of violent crime, including rape, aggravated assault, and robbery.
Teens that drink is more likely to have problems with school work and school conduct. An individual who begins drinking as a young teen is four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than someone who waits until adulthood to use alcohol.
The message is clear – alcohol use is very risky business for young people. And the longer children delay alcohol use, the less likely they are to develop any problems associated with it.
Cary Quashen is a certified addiction specialist and the founder and president of ACTION Parent & Teen Support Group Programs and ACTION Family Counseling which offers drug and alcohol treatment programs for teens and adults. Quashen may be reached at 661-713-3006. The ACTION Parent & Teen Support Group Program meets at Canyon High School Tuesday evenings, beginning at 7 p.m. in the A Building.