Dorothy L. Tengler Today�s teens are drinking more than ever before. In fact, more than half of high school students drink more than twice a month, and some teens report having taken their first drink at age twelve. In the 1980�s, binge drinking among teens was a significant problem, and the prevalence of drinking and driving was substantially increased among youth and young adults with the frequency of alcohol use strongly associated with binge drinking. Although drinking among high school seniors has declined from 41% to 31% between 1980 and 1997�a drop of almost one-fourth, many college students are still binge drinking. And according to recent U.S. statistics, 9% of eighth graders, 22% of tenth graders, and 33% of twelfth graders have been drunk during the last month. To compound the problem, a recent study found that heavy alcohol use can impair brain function in adolescents. Alarmingly, whether such damage is reversible remains unclear. So, what�s going on? There are several reasons why teens drink: to feel high, help forget problems, alleviate boredom. But perhaps the biggest influence on teens and their drinking habits is peer pressure, which can be very subtle or very overt. The need for adolescents to be accepted by their friends is a powerful force. Parents often find it difficult to understand this need, yet when pressed to think back, they can remember how important acceptance was in their own youth. Involvement with peers basically is a healthy aspect of child development, helping children develop a sense of independence from their parents. On a positive note, peers can encourage each other to try out for the school play, applaud each other for successes, and challenge each other to try harder. But peer pressure can also cause teens to drink in order to have a sense of belonging. Often, if a teen does not drink, the other kids can make fun and ridicule until he or she gives in and begins drinking. Saying no, touted in anti-drinking campaigns, may be easier said than done. Perhaps parents can help by practicing with their children to find creative ways to say �no,� so that when a situation arises, children will have a rehearsed script. It just may be that the most effective way to reduce alcohol abuse among teens is straight talk about their choices, options, and the consequences of their actions. Most importantly, we can share with teens the difference between negative and positive peer pressure�the outcome. References: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: Press release, February 14, 2000 (NIAAA Press: 301/443-3860). NIDA, 1999 Monitoring the Future Study, Secondary Students. Johnson, L.D., O�Malley, P.M., and Bachman, J.G. National Survey Results on Drug Abuse from The Monitoring The Future Study, 1975-1998. Washington, DC: National Institute on Drug Abuse, Vol.I: Secondary School Students, 1998; Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 1999 (http://www.stayhealthy.com/bc1_frame/www.isr.umich.edu/src/mtf); National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1999 (http://www.stayhealthy.com/bc1_frame/www.nhtsa.dot.gov). |