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Clueless about teen
drinking
By Barbara Peters
Heads up to parents of daughters
(and sons) regarding alcohol use
A new national survey by a
distillers’ group quoted in the Daily’s article “Girls drinking more
than moms think” on Dec. 19 found that 16 percent of girls ages 13 to
15 drink with friends, but only 5 percent of their mothers think their
daughters are drinking. The
survey goes on to state that this figure doubles when the daughters are
16 to 18 years old. By the time
girls are 19 to 21, 51 percent drink and only 32 percent of their
mothers realize it.
The burden of informing,
modeling and teaching our children, about this great threat to their
happiness, health and lives is on parents – both parents. We know that adolescents copy what
is modeled for them, and the earliest modeling they have is in the
home. If young children and
adolescents see one or both parents drinking to excess when
socializing, they will make the assumption that this is the proper way
to treat friends and guests.
Also, condoning under-age
drinking, even in one’s home under the supervision of parents, can have
adverse effects. The survey
indicates that 20 percent of mothers say they regard underage drinking
as a “natural part of growing up”, while failing to understand the potential
adverse effects of consuming alcohol while young. Training your children properly
about the effects of alcohol must begin at an early age
Dr. Kevin Leman in
“Adolescence Isn’t Terminal, It Just Feels Like It” (2002), reinforces
the concerns for adolescent girls who, because of their physical make
up, are even more affected by alcohol than males. The blood-alcohol level that an
individual young woman can tolerate varies greatly, depending on age,
physical condition, amount of food consumed, medications, and possibly
menstrual cycle and use of contraceptives. A 120 lb. female has an approximate 0.11 percent blood
alcohol concentration (BAC) after consuming three alcoholic drinks,
whereas a 120 lb. male has BAC of .09 percent after consuming the same
three drinks.
Physiologically, it can be
quite dangerous, for adolescents, especially girls, to consume alcohol
in any amount (Leman, 2002). It
is also psychologically damaging for girls and for boys when drinking
to excess causes them to lose control and be taken advantage of at a
party or on a date, to say nothing of the damage to the brains of our
developing young people.
Parents looking for new
ideas to improve communication with their children are encouraged to
contact CLEAN, Inc. We offer a six-week parenting series in the CLEAN
facilities or in local schools throughout Winchester and Frederick and
Clarke Counties.
Peters, a parent educator
and volunteer coordinator at CLEAN, can be contacted at 722-3589, Extension
27 or via e-mail to barbara.peters@cleaninc.org.
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