Teens are vulnerable to substance abuse disorder where the sufferer usually lose the count of how much should they be drinking alcohol and they don’t understand the negative effects it is imposing on their lives. Drinking alcohol is more like a fashion than a need for the teens of this era. They do this for plenty of reasons which include peer pressure, lack of parental guidance, lack of awareness, etc.
Whatever the reasons might be, underage drinking is dangerous and can cause damage to their physical and mental health. At this age, their bodies are not ready for such heavy intake of alcohol and it might not be able to endure it. Parents must be concerned about their kids being vulnerable to such danger. If you think your kid is not yet indulged in this, you must at least guide them through it. Parents are also seeking the best parental control features that could help them know what could be reasons for such behavior as social media is leading most of our teens.
Why Teens Drink?
In teenagehood, there are a lot of changes that can make teens drink. There is puberty that includes physical and hormonal changes, and there is peer pressure along with other external factors. It is very important to understand the cause of teenage drinking. Here are some of them:
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Peer Pressure
These years are hard where they are trying to be a part of the community. Whether it is about being in the basketball game, sitting with your favorite people at lunchtime, or wanting to do homework with someone. The desire to fit in their favorite group can make them do things which can include drinking. Kids at school can make them go for drinking if they want to be their friends.
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Copying Parents’ Habits
Parents over 21 years of age can drink publicly without hiding. But, being responsible for drinking is the way of setting a good example for the kids. When you have alcohol at home, it is your responsibility to reduce your teens’ temptation to have it. If there are no boundaries set about drinking, they might at the risk of trying it out.
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Social Media
Social media is influencing our kids like no other thing right now. Either they are awake or asleep, their minds are fixed on what is happening over social media. Where they might learn a thing or two there, at the same time, they might get so much inspired by the glittery life of the people sharing their drinking parties and fun, that they decide to try it out to be like them. Also, the strangers they meet, the new friends they make there can also allure them into drinking. So, it is very important to keep an eye on the social media life of your kids.
Know more about the reasons why teens drink here: https://www.talkitoutnc.org/underage-drinking/causes-teen-drinking/
The Dangerous Effects of Alcohol Use in Teens
Drinking alcohol is in no way beneficial for kids. They need to keep up with their routine life and responsibilities before adapting any such habits. Here are a few of the dangers that can fall upon the kids when they do underage drinking:
- Alcohol use makes them pay less attention to anything they are doing.
- Teens who experience withdrawal face difficulties with memory.
- Those who start drinking heavily at teenagers tend to complete just fewer years of education as compared to those who do not.
- The younger the person is when they start drinking, the more issues they face at an older age with alcohol.
- Every year, almost 2000 people under the age of 21 die in car crashes due to the involvement of alcohol abuse.
- Drinking is often associated with suicidal attempts. Teens who have committed suicides were often found with higher alcohol levels in their blood.
- Teens who are involved in drinking are also involved in dangerous sexual and related activities.
- Excessive use of alcohol can cause depression and anxiety in teens.
- Drinking at this age can also lead to using other drugs like heroin, marijuana, etc.
- Drinking distorts their thinking and thus they become unable to make the right decisions when it is time.
- It causes fall in their academic progress thus making it hard for them to accomplish anything.
With such negative effects of underage drinking, parents need to do something about it. They can talk to their kids about drinking and make some ground rules to help them understand its dangers.
How Can Parents Prevent Underage Drinking?
You might be confused and unsure about what to say to your teens about drinking. You might think that they don’t know about it. But, in this era of digital and fast lives, kids know everything. So, take a step forward and you will be surprised by the things they know.
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Communicate
The most important thing that parents need to do to protect their kids from any danger is to have open communication with them. You must have a relationship where you can talk to them about anything openly. They must trust the issues they might have. Once you have established the relationship, talk to them about the drinking issue. Ask about their opinion and the things they know. Tell them when they will be allowed and why aren’t they allowed to drink yet. Teens like it when we talk to them like they are sensible adults.
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Parental Control
You can talk to them about everything, but they are kids. They might find their ways into things that are dangerous for them. To keep them on track, make some ground rules, and make sure they follow them. You can also use parental control app to make sure they are safe on the internet and they are not adapting these habits from there.
Parents have this huge responsibility of making their kids grow in a safe environment. With so many external factors playing the role, it can be difficult. But, with the right communication and the right rules, you can make your teens understand what is acceptable and what is not.
