Solving of the Problem of Teenage Alcoholism and Drug Addiction - Research Paper Example

The Influence of Alcohol in Teens Introduction At the onset, people have been made aware of the dangers of alcohol consumption above moderate amounts. Different governmental organizations, as well as private and public health institutions could not over emphasize the need to enhance public awareness on alcohol consumption and its short-term and long-term effects. For teen agers, there is a stipulated legal drinking age, under which, all teen agers have been deemed prohibited to consume and use alcohol for health reasons. As revealed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2010), the minimum legal age for alcohol in the USA is 21 years old. However, there have been clamor from various groups to decrease the minimum legal age to 18, but the controversial argument solicits diverse reactions from different organizations and community groups due to the potential effects that the move would inflict on the youth. The aim of the current research is to proffer pertinent information relative to the influence of alcohol, specifically in teen-agers, under the minimum legal age, defined by law. The discourse would initially provide relevant statistics pertinent to the teen-agers’ use and consumption of alcohol, prior to delving into the influence and effects of alcohol on teen-agers. Finally, one would present ways of addressing the problem, before providing a concluding portion that would highlight and summarize the points and issues discussed within the research. Relevant Statistics The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) in conjunction with other government agencies, of which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is one among many which monitor the prevalence of alcohol use among the youth. In the statistics gathered by highlighted by the CDC (2010), it was revealed that “excessive alcohol consumption contributes to more than 4,600 deaths among underage youth, that is, persons less than 21 years of age, in the United States each year” (2010). Likewise, relevant facts emphasize that “most underage youth who drink do so to the point of intoxication, that is, they binge drink (defined as having five or more drinks in a row), typically on multiple occasions” (CDC, 2010, par. 3). There were diverse public health problems that have emerged from allowing underaged youth to consume alcohol ranging from vehicular accidents, poor academic performance, physical injuries sustained from fighting, unprotected sex and incidents of use of other vices such as smoking and drugs. The significant influence of alcohol to teenagers’ death and increased preponderance to health and social problems would hereby be expounded. Influence of Alcohol on Teenagers Due to the natural developmental characteristics of teenagers, including their heightened need to explore new avenues and endeavors, the tendencies to try alcohol with peers seem to be initiated out of curiosity and fun; without appropriate knowledge and awareness on its dangerous effects and repercussions. One’s research has generated vast amounts of information that revealed drastic effects in terms of behavioral changes; academic, social, legal problems; as well as future long-term chronic effects. a. Short-Term Behavioral Changes: inability to focus, memory problems,temporary blockage of some messages to the brain, more relaxed and less anxious feelings, and intoxication (“People who have overused alcohol may stagger, lose their coordination, and slur their speech. They will probably be confused and disoriented” (TeensHealth, 2012, par. 2). b. Academic Problems: absenteeism, forgetfulness that leads to failure to comply with academic requirements, exhibiting lower and failing grades. c. Social Problems: manifestation of aggressiveness, being out of character, and entering into fights; unprotected sex; unwanted pregnancies (CDC, 2010. d. Legal Problems: being arrested for wreckess driving; being involved in car crashes and accidents that could result in injuries or death. e. Health Problems: those teens who have developed the habit of drinking were found to be “more likely to get fat or have health problems, too. One study by the University of Washington found that people who regularly had five or more drinks in a row starting at age 13 were much more likely to be overweight or have high blood pressure by age 24 than their nondrinking peers. People who continue drinking heavily well into adulthood risk damaging their organs, such as the liver, heart, and brain” [Tee12]. f. Long term chronic illnesses: alcoholism; abuse with other drugs; alcohol poisoning leading to death (CDC, 2010; TeensHealth, 2012). As revealed, the influence of alcohol on teen-agers are alarming and could endanger their lives if left unabated and unaddressed by family members, school administrators, community groups and governmental agencies. Ways to Address the Problem Due to the negative effects of alcohol as evidently presented, various government agencies, in conjunction with school authorities have designed programs to address the problem of alcohol use and consumption among teen-agers. The School Health Policies and Programs Study (2006), a national survey which is conducted annually to evaluate health policies and programs instituted by schools at the state, district, and classroom levels, have enhanced awareness to students through compulsory instructional programs to prevent alcohol and drug use. As disclosed: “The percentage of states that required districts or schools to provide alcohol- or other drug-use treatment services increased from 8.2% in 2000 to 17.6% in 2006, whereas the percentage of districts that required schools to provide these services decreased from 46.2% in 2000 to 33.6% in 2006.1 The percentage of states that required districts or schools to provide alcohol- or other drug-use prevention services in one-on-one or small-group sessions increased from 22.0% in 2000 to 42.0% in 2006” [Sch06]. Other school programs and community based prevention activities include drug testing policies; enforcing strict implementation of the minimum legal age drinking laws; enhancing teen-agers and adults awareness on the dangers of alcohol use and other drug-use through continued inclusion of the dangers of their use within the schools’ curriculum and through nationwide promotional campaigns; and increased vigilance from parents, teachers and community workers on teen-agers use of alcohol and drugs. Likewise, on the part of government and state agencies, they should increase the excise taxes of alcohol and other vices,such as cigarettes, to act as restrictions and disable the youth to access and purchase these prohibitive products. Conclusion The current research has effectively presented pertinent information relative to the influence of alcohol, specifically in teen-agers, under the minimum legal age, defined by law. Through providing relevant statistics on the prevalence of alcohol use by teenagers, the discourse eventually delved into the influence and effects of alcohol to teen-agers through signifying short term behavioral changes, manifestation of academic, social, legal and health problems, as well as increased tendencies for long-term chronic illnesses. As highlighted, various government organizations have proposed programs and strategies to address the dilemma through school based programs, in conjunction with community-based efforts to ultimately minimize and decrease the incidence of teenaged drinking below the minimum legal age. The effort to address this problem actually stems from the coordinated efforts from the family to government agencies tasked to monitor and expose the extent of danger that alcohol could cause. References Tee12: , (TeensHealth, 2012, p. 3), Sch06: , (School Health Policies and Programs Study, 2006), Read More