Talking to Your Teen About Alcohol

Partying. Everyone is doing it. Drinking on weekends and getting a buzz on is what being young is all about, right? Wrong. It’s much more complicated than that. It’s true that 75 percent of American teens have given alcohol a try by the end of high school; 37 percent by the eighth grade. But it’s also true that there are studies that show another side of the equation. According to the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, only a little more than half (51.8 percent) of Americans aged 12 or older reported being current drinkers of alcohol. Apparently, giving it a try doesn’t necessarily turn into making it a habit. Contrary to many people’s perception that college students are generally out of control of their drinking, studies don’t bear that out, either. The average number of drinks consumed by college students is 1.5 per week. That’s according to the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study’s survey of 17,592 students at 140 colleges and universities. That certainly upends the myth that weekend drunks that start on Wednesday are an essential part of the college experience. If your social group is regularly drinking more than that, it’s important to keep in mind not everyone thinks partying means getting wasted. Not everyone sees drinking as their primary activity for relaxation and recreation. For the purpose of studies and bartenders, one beer is 12 ounces; a glass of wine is 5 ounces and a drink that includes 80 proof distilled spi...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Addictions Alcoholism Children and Teens Disorders Family General Parenting Students Substance Abuse Alcohol Abuse Alcohol intoxication Alcoholic beverage Brain Cells Brain Development Drink Drinking culture Nervous System Source Type: news