“Hi, my name is Marshall Mathers, I’m an alcoholic”-eminem, “I sip a Heiniken brew, for my deceased crew”- Nas. These are just two of thousands of quotes in songs referring to alcohol. This can be very influential towards teens who listen to this music to drink at a young age. But then again, what does not? Alcohol is in movies, songs, advertisemnts, pictures, tv shows, and at home used by parents, or other teens. So, with all of these influences, why do 75% of parents believe that their teen does not drink, when over 80% of high school students have at least once had alcohol? Also, why has the government not stepped in to specifically help out teen drinkers through AA type meetings? There are also no non-profit orgainizations geared specifically towards teen drinkers. The most common and perhaps only influential anti-teen drinking
addressing would be a brief lesson in heath class. This is not enough. This then leads to many problems, and my groups civil action plan. Parents, and even the government, seem to be ignorant to the fact that children are drinking which is why my group had come up with a support group for teen drinkers.
It is first best to hear the teen drinking statitics before anything. Beware, because these first few facts are shocking. The average age for boys to first try alcohol is 11, and is 13 for girls. The average age at which Americans begin drinking regularly is 16 years old. 60% of high-schoolers drink weekly. 11% of alcohol that is consumed by America is consumed by teenagers. Drinking such large amounts at such young ages can lead to serious problem; both mentally and physically.
Teenagers, as everybody knows, can be and are very irresponsible. They think not of the consequences, because they only think of the short term benfits. This is why teens are three times more likely to drive drunk then adults. One leading cause of this is because a designated driver, better know as DD, is never established before hand. When that 12:00 am call from the house arrives, by this point, the een and his friends are all unablke to drive. The most important thing to the teen is making it home on time without getting in truoble; not about driving drunk or making it home ALIVE. This is why in our teen drinking anonymous program a DD will be a big topic. The three leading causes of death for 15- to 24-year-olds are automobile crashes, homicides and suicides — alcohol is a leading factor in all three. If teens see the consequenes of drining impaired and the importance of a DD, lives will be saved.
It is a proven fact that children that have been informed about alcohol and warned of the dangers by their parents are less likely to drink. This will be another part of our civil action plan. Informing parents to tell their children is very crutial. Sending out fliers to homes stating things such as how many American teens/ high school students drink, how many are in drunk driving accidents, and the statistical benefit of teaching your child, young or old, the harms of drinking will have a great impact.if parents preach at home their dissatisfaction of underaged drinker will make young children less likely to drink, and make already drinking teens think twice about what they are doing.
Behavioral and drug problems also come hand in hand with teen drinking. Teens age 12 to 17 who use alcohol are more likely to report behavioral problems, especially aggressive, delinquent and criminal behaviors, according to findings of a new study released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The study further revealed that teen alcohol users wether they are heavy or light drinkers report they are more likely to use illicit drugs than non-drinkers. Teens who were current heavy drinkers were 16 times more likely than non-drinkers to have used an illicit drug in the past month. Light drinkers were eight times more likely to have used an illicit drug in the past month than non-drinking adolescents. This is another big problem with take drinking. Many people believe that marijiuana is a gateway drug; once one uses weed enough times theyb want to move on to more “hardcore” drugs to get a better ad more lasting high, or just for fun. This concept can then be applied to alcohol. If alcohol, as it is statistically shown, is in a way a stepping stone to use gateway drugs such a marijiuana, why is alcohol not taken as seriously for teens as marijiuana? The CAP orgainzed group, Teenage Drinker Anonymous or TDA, will show the connection between drugs and alcohol.
The task of the Civil Action Plan is to develop solution to a particular issue, and the issue had to be a social issue. Teens who drink are a group in society who suffer from an injustice, because they are unaware of the facts and consequences of drinking. The expert briefly interviwed, Peter Rupert, volunteers a few times a month to work at AA meetings. He agrees that alcohol should be talked about in homes at a young age to prevent teen drinking. He also stated that teens who drink are a group of people who “suffer from a lack of knowledge”. Setting up the TDA groups will be open to both drinkers, and non-drinkers who would jut like to hear the facts. Fliers will be sent out at school and to homes regarding the amount of teens statistically drinking and what can lead from teen drinking. The fliers and posters will raise a physical awareness. The meetings will be very welcoming and non-judgemental. Hopefully with the TDA orgainization and all the fliers and posters, awareness of this social injustice will be raised.