Teen alcoholism is a growing epidemic. Parenting the modern teenager is a challenge and, inevitably, you'll be faced with the issue of binge drinking.

Statistics on the prevalence of alcohol abuse and addiction are frightening, to say the least. Evidence suggests that thirty percent of twelfth graders engage in binge drinking at least once every two weeks.

What Is Binge Drinking?

Binge drinking is defined as five or more drinks in one sitting. Research on teenage alcoholism reveals that eighteen percent of American college students have alcohol related problems.

An estimated 44 percent of college students in the U.S. regularly binge drink. Teenage alcoholism is a genuine problem.

Why Teenagers Turn to Drinking

Children in their teens tend to experiment with all areas they perceive as adult freedoms. Curiosity, fear, stress and peer pressure may all be considerable factors in encouraging teenagers to drink.

Research has shown that teenagers may be more susceptible to developing alcoholism if they are depressed, have low self-esteem or have a family history of alcohol abuse.

Experts are not entirely clear as to why some teenagers experiment but do not develop alcohol related problems, while others experiment and continue on a path of self-destruction.

Short-Term Effects of Binge Drinking

A parent can check for these signs that a teenager is abusing alcohol:

• bad breath
• poor judgment
• more acute emotions
• distorted senses such as hearing and sight
• reduced school performance.

Longer-Term Effects of Binge Drinking

The outcomes of binge drinking can be alarming and include:

• liver damage
• mild brain damage
• memory loss
• impotence
• stomach problems such as ulcers
• internal bleeding.

Statistics show that 35 percent of adults who have drinking problems began binge drinking by the age of nineteen and that binge drinking is the second leading cause of dementia.

Dangers Associated with Teen Drinking

The dangers of binge drinking are far more serious than hangovers and public embarrassment. Teenagers have less practice with making good judgment calls while under the influence. Their suppressed inhibitions can cause them to take life-threatening risks.

• Younger children can be just as badly affected by binge drinking, with 37 percent of eighth grade girls reporting that they have attempted suicide after abusing alcohol.
• More than two-thirds of college students have stated that they have taken part in reckless behavior such as drunk driving or unprotected sex as the result of binge drinking.
• Alcohol-related automobile fatalities are twice as prevalent in the 16 to 21 years old age group as they are in any other age group.
• Alcohol is involved in more than 38 percent of drowning cases.

Every year, more than 70,000 students from American colleges are victims of alcohol-related sexual assaults.

Recognizing Alcohol Abuse in Your Teenager

Warning signs can come from a variety of sources. Any one of these signs alone is unlikely to indicate a significant problem. However, if you notice several of these behaviors, further investigation may be required.

• Emotional factors: Look for changes in personality, irritability, depression, poor judgment and withdrawal.
• School performance: Your teenager may develop a negative attitude, increase in truancy or a drop in grades.
• Family life: You may notice regular rule breaking and withdrawing from family life.
• Social changes: You may notice that your child's appearance has changed or that old friends have been abandoned in favor of "cooler" kids.

Dealing with Binge Drinking and Teen Alcoholism

Prevention is certainly easier than attempting a cure. Discuss alcohol and drinking with your child from a young age; some experts suggest that you can begin educating your child from the age of four onwards. Take the opportunity to use examples of alcohol abuse in the media to discuss the matter with your child.

By the age of twelve, children should be aware of the dangers of alcohol and the reasons that people drink. The key to success is to get to your child before peer pressure does. Be pro-active, not reactive.

Take any signs of alcohol abuse seriously. Sit down and discuss the issues calmly with your child. Attempt to get a feel for the extent of the problem. Do not preach; encourage your teenager to be open and honest with you. You can deal with the problem of teen drinking only when you know the extent of it. Here are some other tips on how to communicate with your children about binge drinking:

• Draw up a behavioral agreement with your teenager, with clear boundaries and consequences.
• Discuss the matter with other parents to present a united front.
• Show zero tolerance.
• Be a positive role model. If necessary, remove alcohol from your home.
• Teach your teenager how to deal with peer pressure.
• Educate yourself as to the current trends and fashions.
• Don't be afraid to seek outside help from a psychiatrist or family physician.

Drinking alcohol is part of life for today's teenager. As the parent of a teenager you have a responsibility to educate your child in order to ensure that he or she has a healthy relationship with alcohol. Get educated and get talking; don't let your child be another teen drinking statistic.

Resources

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (2004). Teens: Alcohol and other drugs.

American Academy of Family Physicians. (updated 2004). Drinking — It can spin your world around: Facts for teens.

American Medical Association. (2005). College students at no greater risk of alcohol-related problems than peers.

McIntire, R. (nd). Teenage drinking.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2003). Underage drinking: A major public health challenge.

Nemours Foundation. (2001). A parent's guide to kids and alcohol.

UC Berkeley Parents Network. (2001). Drinking.

US Department of Health and Human Services. (2002). The binge drinking epidemic.