Hi Guys – We ALL know that alcohol is widely used amongst our teenagers, but I bet that you didn’t know that 73% of our teens under 18 have tried alcohol at least once. That’s a huge amount especially when you consider that these teens are

not even legally allowed to purchase alcohol yet.

It is widely known that alcohol is considered a drug and that it is also considered by many to be socially acceptable but I bet you didn’t know that it is responsible for most of Australia’s teenage drug-related deaths.

Whilst it is difficult to prevent our teens from drinking alcohol I believe that as parents we can teach their children how to drink it safely and respectively and parents can also teach their kids the risks of over consuming.

A while back there was evidence that suggested that parents were alarmed at the thought of their children using ‘harder’ drugs and that alcohol was considered a lesser evil and was therefore more acceptable. This made my head spin. How can parents find any form of drugs acceptable? I’ve lost count over the amount of times that I have seen teens so intoxicated that they cannot even walk.

The main problem with our teens and alcohol is that ALL teens think they are invincible BUT when you add alcohol that feeling of invincibility is tripled. I am not that old that I cannot look back into my past and what I see scares me as a parent. I know my teen does far more than I ever did and as a parent that scares the crap out of me.

Teenagers and alcohol really don’t mix and they NEVER will . . I am of the belief that the legal age for drinking of alcohol should be risen back to the age of 21 as it is in other countries. More and more I hear stories of teenagers being diagnosed with alcohol related illnesses and some of them are also being diagnosed as an alcoholic.

Imagine if you can to being the parent of a 16yr old that is diagnosed as an alcoholic. I am one of those parents. . ! ! ! I have never supplied her nor will I ever but she is able to easily buy it herself and also get it from others. As a parent it is heart wrenching to watch your child and their obsession with alcohol destroy their young lives.

My teen is still living under the impression that NOTHING is wrong with her and that what she is doing is normal. The hardest thing here is that NO one other than my daughter can help her. She has to want help and all I can do is wait. Imagine being a parent forced to sit on the outside and watch your child endure this. The problem is that if she is forced into treatment then it won’t work, it has to be HER choice.

All this being said; did you know that it has been estimated that in 2001 there was just over 3,000 Australians who died due to alcohol use. There were also 64,782 alcohol-related events that needed hospital care.

Some irresponsible use of alcohol in teens can lead to:

Binge drinking

Drink driving

Unsafe sexual activities

Fighting

Drowning

~ Binge Drinking ~

Sadly it has been proven that binge drinking can lead to some very serious health problems. Binge Drinking can lower the amount of drinks that you can have before you are over the legal limit.

Our teenager’s brains are still considered young and are still developing; it has been shown that some of the brains most dramatic changes occur during the teenage years. Some of these developing areas are responsible for motivation, impulse and addiction.

Alcohol is considered to be a ‘neurotoxin’, which means that if given the chance it can and will poison your teenager’s brain. Alcohols can also interfere with your teenagers absorption of vitamin b. Vitamin b is important as it help to keep the brain working properly.

It has also been shown that binge drinking can lead to a range of other problems such as learning and memory problems and difficulties with balance.

~ Drink Driving ~

For me this idea scares me. I’d like to think that I have taught my daughter about the risks of drink driving but there is always that doubt especially given how she is today. Drink driving can also happen due to pressure from your child’s peers. Most parents I know say that their teen wouldn’t give in to peer pressure but when your teen is drinking how can you be really sure as to what or what not your teen would get up to.

Car accidents in Australia are a leading cause of death for our teenagers. In 2004–05, one out of every four drivers or riders who died or were injured in road accidents in over the legal limit for blood alcohol.

The good news is that studies done in Australia have shown that the most influential role models for our teens are their parents. It is widely accepted that children learn by imitation, so I really think it is important that us parents demonstrate sensible drinking behaviours. Some suggestions would and could be:

• Drink Moderately
• Don’t drink every time that you go out
• Never EVER drink Drive
• If you are out drinking make sure you always have a nominated driver
• Explain the bad side of drinking, like vomiting, head spins, passing out and hangovers, embarrassing behaviour
• Teach your child on the risks between drinking and dangerous behaviour, such as unsafe sexual behaviour
• Teach your child sensible way of drinking such as standard drink recommendations, how to pace themselves, switching between alcohol drinks with non-alcoholic drinks and the risks of drinking on an empty stomach
• Always encourage your child to talk about the dangers of alcohol with their friends. Explain this so they can come up with ways to look out for each other

If you suspect that you teen may have a problem with alcohol seek professional advice before things get out of hand. Here are some numbers that may help.

~Queensland~

Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) offers a 24-hour alcohol and drug information service

Telephone:        Regional 1800 177 833

Brisbane (07) 3837 5989    

~New South Wales~

Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) offers 24-hour confidential information, advice and referral telephone service

Telephone:        Regional 1800 422 599

                        Sydney (02) 9361 8000

~A.C.T~

ACT Health Services - Alcohol and Other Drugs
Telephone service offering information, advice, referral, intake, assessment and support for individuals, family and friends

Telephone:            (02) 6207 9977

~Victoria~

Drug Info Clearinghouse provides an information service for alcohol and other drugs.

Telephone:            1300 85 85 84

Direct Line offers a 24-hour, 7 day a week confidential alcohol and drug counselling and referral service.

Telephone:            1800 888 236

~Tasmania~

Tasmanian Department of Health and Human Services - Alcohol and Drugs
Alcohol and Drugs Information Service (ADIS) offers 24-hour telephone information and counselling service.

Telephone:            1800 811 994

~South Australia~

Drug and Alcohol Services Council (DASC)
Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) offers a 24 hour telephone information, counselling and referral service for the general public, concerning family and friends, students.

Telephone:            1300 131 340

~Western Australia~

Western Australia Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS)
24 hour, confidential telephone service that provides information, counselling, referral and advice to anyone concerned about their own or another's alcohol or other drug use.

Telephone:        Perth (08) 9442 5000

                        Regional 1800 198 024

PLEASE don’t think that your teen is immune to drinking or having a problem. Ignorance is NO excuse. I urge EVERY parent to watch and if you have even the slightest concern pick up that phone and get some advice . . . Don’t leave it too late!

Thankyou for taking the time to read this…………… I hope this has been of some use to some one out there.

Cheers Kellz     

© Copyright 2008 Kellzacar. . All writings by Kellzacar remain the property of Kellzacar and should not be republished or copied without written permission. Kellzacar can be emailed via Minti