Category: Alcohol

Introduction

Over the past quarter-century, the United States and its political subdivisions have by and large established the age of maturity at 18 years. With a few minor exceptions, this means that an eighteen-year-old can vote, enlist in military service, and marry without parental consent. If he commits an offense he can be tried as an adult and, if the offense is of sufficient gravity, upon conviction be put to death. Yet, a glaring exception to this general rule is the minimum age for the public consumption of alcohol, now universally established at age 21. A close examination of the relevant facts points to favor of a more flexible age limit policy.

Background

It was not always thus. Before the American Civil War, youngsters were routinely enlisted in military service as young as fourteen (usually restricted in their duties) and women routinely married at age fifteen or sixteen. Voting was almost always restricted to men over the age of 21 (often with other requirements such as property ownership) if only because of the gravity of the responsibility involved. Until the First World War, there were virtually no age limits on the consumption of alcohol. It was the common belief that a man, irrespective of his age, who had gone into the world was prepared to accept the responsibilities that accompany life as an adult. Lower age limits on alcohol consumption appear to have grown out of two fundamental, yet unrelated, events. The first was the repeal of prohibition in 1933. And the second was the massive expansion of automobile ownership at the same time. Whatever the merits of the arguments introduced in their favor (encouraging sobriety, safe driving), it has become eminently obvious that they have not worked, they are counterproductive, and they are incongruent with the prevailing delimiters of adulthood.

Social conditions and considerations today

Since then we have witnessed an almost incredible reversal of priorities. Eighteen-year-olds have been awarded the vote, a public act of such importance that for centuries democracies have sought to restrict it to the most responsible citizens. The primary argument for a constitutional amendment for lowering the minimum voting age to 18 was the responsibility of those same men (and now, arguably, women) to be drafted into military service. “If he can fight, he should have the right to vote.” Yet the minimum age for lawful consumption of alcohol, which was non-existent for the better part of the first one and a half centuries of this nation’s history, was established nationally at 21, having to be raised to that level where it had been previously otherwise.

From Scandinavia to Spain the lawful drinking age varies from 16 to 18. In many nations (e.g., France and Germany) it is both: 18 for an adult, 16 for a teenager in a restaurant with his or her parents. The assumption, a perfectly logical one, is that parents are excellent judges of the maturity of their children and the state has only a limited right to question that judgment. By the same token, the age of maturity is accounted 18 with all the rights and responsibilities associated therewith.

There are a number of arguments presented in favor of maintaining a minimum age of 21: it reduces the gross number of automobile accidents; lowering the age to 18 would have a deleterious effect on 16- and 17-year-olds; there are many different minimum ages of eligibility for certain positions, electoral or appointive. These arguments vary from the specious to the downright foolish. Proponents argue that car crashes have materially decreased with the introduction of higher minimum drinking age laws. This however appears to associate an outcome unrelated to the decision in question. Most states in the union have had a minimum consumption age of 21 since the repeal of prohibition. Yet they have experienced the same drawdown in automobile deaths as the states that raised their age limits. Clearly, some other factors (e.g., aggressive advertising, more severe sentences for infractions) are at work. In many respects, 17-year-olds do not “blend” into 18-year-olds. The latter cohort has, by and large, left high school and gone on to college or into the world of work. And as for the different ages for certain public offices (30 to be a member of the senate, 35 to be president), these are mandated by the Constitution, have been the law for over two centuries, and have absolutely nothing to do with drinking a glass of beer.

Final thoughts

But, there is an underlying, and perhaps more important, factor that merits consideration. We now have the ludicrous situation at work that two twenty-year-olds may lawfully marry each other yet would be violating the law if at the reception they toasted their new status with champagne. (And the argument that no one is going to complain about it is so much nonsense. For one, the act is against the law. For another, someone probably would.) Likewise, if an eighteen-year-old is old enough to take up arms in the defense of his country—where he may have to apply his judgment in determining whether or not to kill someone—he should be considered of sufficient good judgment to recognize his own limits in consuming alcohol.

In increasing the mandatory minimum age to 21 we may have unwittingly created another, largely unmentioned problem—binge and solitary drinking. Consuming alcohol historically has been a cultural event. Traditionally, people have done it in the company of one another. Thus, the beverage is associated with conviviality. By the same token, such venues of conviviality—the neighborhood tavern, the front porch—tend to place practical limits on the amount of alcohol a person consumes, if only to discourage him from making too much of a fool of himself in public. However, increased minimum drinking age laws preclude young adults from being acculturated into this socially restraining system. Rather, they appear all too often to drink to the point of insensibility when they gain access to alcoholic beverages.

On balance, given the arguments pro and con, the nation would be better served by a selective reduction in the minimum age for lawful alcohol consumption.

Works cited

1. ARIV, Minimum drinking age laws: fact sheet, Trauma Foundation, 2001
2. Engs, R. C., Cycles of Social Reform: Is the Current Anti-Alcohol Movement Cresting?, Journal of studies on alcohol, 1997
3. Park, R. B., Drinking ‘learner permits’ for underage drinkers, State University of New York/Potsdam, 2001
4. Staid, M., How old? Legal drinking ages around the world, College life, 2002
5. [Title Page] Alcohol minimum age consumption laws should be relaxed
6. An Arbitrary Restriction: Current minimum age limits on the lawful consumption of alcohol are unreasonable, 2007

Introduction

Consumption of alcohol is an affair that is determined by several factors. For instance, exposure to alcohol, reduced prices, increased production and increase in stress level et cetera are among the main factors influencing alcohol consumption. As a result, the level of consumption in a given country might vary from time to time depending on the mentioned factors.

With due recognition to the above facts, need arose for a practical survey to determine whether the amount of alcohol being consumed might have reduced or increased in the UK. This paper therefore seeks to report on the amount of alcohol being consumed at present in the United Kingdom. The paper goes further to analyze gender as well as age groups in the UK with special regard to alcohol consumption.

Statistical Data

According to HM Revenue & Customs figures cited by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), “there was a 6% fall in alcohol consumption between 2004 and 2008” (Batty, Hunt, Emslie, Lewars & Gale 2009: 10). On totting up, alcohol consumption fell by over 8% to 3.81 liters per capita in the first half of 2009. This year’s fall represents the biggest fall in consumption since 1948”.

The various complaints pointed towards alcohol production in Britain led to several studies especially by the Government’s ‘Sheffield Study’ which concluded that the increase in the price of alcohol would have led to a decrease in alcohol consumption and further a decline in health problems related to alcohol. This proved that the total number of individuals consuming alcohol drastically reduced as compared to the other past years.

According to Emslie and Mitchell (2009), on the research that was carried out in Scotland on the rates of alcohol related deaths among men and women between 2000 and 2005, “more than twice as many men than women died from alcohol-related causes meaning 38 deaths per 100,000 men compared to 16 per 100,000 women” (p.8). The gap between the number of men who died and the number of women who died proved that men drunk more alcohol as compared to women.

For another research, secondary data was employed to conclude on gender in cases of alcohol drinking. Information was retrieved from Health Survey for England (HSE). The consumption of alcohol was taken as the main topic from which all the questions were asked without an age limit for answering questions.

Nevertheless, regarding moral issues related to alcohol, certain questions were asked to individuals below the age of eighteen. “The survey used was carried out between January 2007 to April 2007, and covers 14,386 individuals and 24,910 households using a repeated cross-sectional study using random samples” (Emslie & Mitchell, 2009).

The result shows great disparity between women and men’s views as regards use of alcohol. In spite of the several questions they were asked, I was able to analyze only two questions. First, when asked whether they felt getting drunk was acceptable, a huge number of men alleged it was satisfactory as compared to women. A percentage of 3.5 out of a total of 96 men were strongly at par with the suggestion while only a percentage of 2.3 out of a total of 79 women powerfully approved.

A percentage of 14 men approved while a percentage of 9 percent of women approved. Nonetheless, the number of men that strongly disagreed was lower than that of women with that of men being 25.8 percent out of 715 while that of women was 31.4 percent out of 1084 ladies (Office for National Statistics 2009).

In addition, more men felt that drinking was British culture a view that was less accepted by women. A percentage of 11.5 of men powerfully approved while a percentage of 9.7 of women strongly approved. 3.4 percent of women disagreed while only 2.6 percent of men disagreed. The result transparently proved the wide gap between the male and female conceptions about alcohol consumption in the United Kingdom. To be precise men consume more alcohol as compared to women (Office for National Statistics 2009).

On the other hand, considering the age groups in the United Kingdom, according to the research conducted by General Household Survey in Britain from 1998 to 2002, the number of individuals within the age group of 16 to 24 increased from 24 to 28 percent. The total number of individuals who consume alcohol drastically increases as their age also increases.

The number of individuals who consume small amounts of alcohol is closely followed by those within the age group of 25 to 44. Individuals within the age group of 45 to 64 consume a higher amount of alcohol that is a percentage of 53. Persons who drink large amounts of alcohol are those having the more than 64 years. The number of these adults who drink most is approximated to be 58 percent.

The amount of alcohol that is being consumed at nowadays at the United Kingdom is low. This is because the number of individuals consuming the alcohol has also reduced. The reduction in the number of individuals consuming alcohol has been proved beyond doubt to be linked to the many suggestions by the health personnel as well as the various governments to reduce the levels of alcohol intake.

This was because the increase in the amount of alcohol consumed led to the corresponding increase in the number of hospital admissions in the UK. Men in the UK consume large amounts of alcohol as compared to women. Adults who have more than 64 years of age consume large amounts of alcohol as compared to any other age group. This may be probably because of the idleness since by this age most of these individuals are usually jobless.

Errors

Like any other study, there were chances of errors in this study. First, there is likelihood of errors resulting from sampling. Considering that these studies depend on a sample as opposed to census which makes use of the whole population, there is likelihood that the opinions of these small groups of people might not truly represent the whole population of the UK.

Save for few, most of the researches were carried out on a population sample of less than 10,000 people. This is a small number of people to represent accurately the opinion of the UK.

Other than sampling errors, it is clear that there could have been chances of non-sampling errors. These include errors that occurred as a result of responses to the study questions. Response errors include those that happen as a result of wrong responses due to misunderstanding of the question or understanding the question but giving an inaccurate answer. Given this topic of alcohol, it is very likely that some people would not feel comfortable giving true information about their levels of consumption and total expenditure.

There is, therefore, a high chance of errors occurring from wrong information. However, putting both the sampling and non sampling errors together, it becomes clear that the average error becomes very large and might misrepresent the general picture of alcohol consumption in the UK.

Conclusion

In spite of the UK government’s recommendations on the introduction of measures to lessen the alcohol consumptions, there is still need for a new discussion about effectual strategy procedures that are undoubtedly directed at the minimal persons who wrongly use alcohol. Nevertheless, the government of the United Kingdom is attributable to the decrease in the number of individuals consuming alcohol.

The pattern of alcohol consumption for the past thirty years has been noted to have been decreasing to date. The fall in the alcohol consumption is very drastic and cannot be compared to any other years. This is attributed by many to be the prompting calls by the doctors as well as efforts by the United Kingdom to reduce alcohol related harm.

From the early centuries, the number of men consuming alcohol has been proved beyond doubt to be higher than the number of women. Conversely, according to the early research on age groups the numbers of individuals who consume alcohol more were notably found to be old individuals of more than 64 years. The number was followed by middle aged men and women as well as the youth between ages 24 and 64.

Reference List

Batty, G. D., Hunt, K., Emslie, C., Lewars, H., and Gale C., 2009. Alcohol problems and all-cause mortality in men and women: predictive capacity of a clinical screening tool in a 21 year follow-up of a large, UK-wide, general population-based survey. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 66(3), pp.17-21.

Emslie C., Mitchell R., 2009. Are there gender differences in the geography of alcohol-related mortality in Scotland? BMC Public Health. 9(58), pp.12-15. London.

Office for National Statistics, 2009. Drinking: Adults’ behavior and knowledge in 2009. Opinions Survey Report no. 42. Web.

Introduction

Clements High School is a public school located in Sugarland, Texas with a population of 2,509 for the school year August 2007 to June 2008 (Clements par. 6). As in other high schools, Clements implements policies to deter the use of drugs and alcohol by adolescent and teenage students. The school prohibits any activity that involves drugs and alcohol within the school premises. Violation of such policies will cause the suspension, expulsion, or sending of the violator to a behavior learning center. A heavier sanction involves the participation of the police department in the apprehension of violators. Evans-Whipp and Beyers (par. 9) said that the policy for first-time substance users in the US is notifying the parents or guardians by the school administrator (qt. in Ross et al. 1995; Small et al. 2001); violation of alcohol and another drug (AOD) policies would entail suspension, referral to a campus counselor, and participation in “student assistance program”; and for use of illegal drugs, the response to violators which occurred in 75 percent of schools would be a referral to local authorities (qt. in Small et al. 2001). However, high school students can evade the policies by using drugs and alcohol outside the school campus. Despite current efforts by the schools and the local and federal government, adolescent students taking drugs and alcohol continually rise.

A problem of substance abuse among the young

Substance abuse among the young is a significant “social and health problem in the United States, Australia and other Western nations” (Evans-Whipp and Beyers par. 1). According to Evans-Whipp and Beyers (par. 2), substance use by young individuals is viewed as a major international health concern (qt. in WHO 1997; WHO 1999; WHO 2001). The use of alcohol and other drugs increased during the last decade before 1999 (Evans-Whipp and Beyers par. 2 qt. in Bauman and Phongsavan 1999). They (par. 2 ) added that the use of substances by adolescents led to numerous “physical and social harms,” that includes “accidents, disrupted family and peer relationships, educational problems and overdose” (qt. in WHO 1997; WHO, 1999). Usage of drugs and alcohol also causes a lot of societal problems and triggers the commission of crimes. It has been medically proven that prolonged overuse of such substances produces dependence on the user and other negative effects ranging from mental, psychological, and physical infirmities.

The abuse of alcohol and other drugs, called “substance abuse”, may cause medical conditions and worsen existing ones, and have destroyed lives and families (Nissl par. 1). Overuse of alcohol resulted in the death of 100,000 persons in the US and Canada annually (Nissl par. 3). Studies revealed that alcohol is a frequent substance overused by 12 to 17 years old teenagers and a leading cause of automobile-related accidents (Nissl par. 3). Drinking alcohol tends to make people “engage in high-risk sexual behavior, have poor grades or job performance, use tobacco products, and experiment with illegal drugs” (Nissl par. 3). The use of drugs and alcohol might be a subconscious effort of an individual to counter depression (Nissl par. 3).

Long-time alcohol use damages the organs create medical conditions that result in “violence, accidents, social isolation, jail or prison time, and difficulties at work and home” (Nissl par. 5). Abuse of drugs includes the usage of illegal drugs (e.g. s include marijuana, methamphetamines, cocaine, heroin, or other “street drugs”) and “legal prescription and nonprescription drugs” (Nissl par. 10). Since “club drugs” (e.g. ecstasy, ketamine, GHB, Rohypnol, LSD) can be bought at clubs, night dances, etc. (Nissl par. 11), these activities should also be monitored and regulated. Teens can be victims of sexual assault on events where such kinds of drugs are taken (Nissl par. 11). An estimate of one-half of the high school seniors in the US disclosed having taken alcohol or illegal drug, Nissl (par. 16) said. Abuse of such substance by this age bracket raises the danger of engaging in crime, “high-risk sexual behavior, accidents, and injuries (Nissl par. 16). Teenagers who take alcohol and drugs, likewise perform poorly in school and are more prone to dropping out (Nissl par. 16).

The study of Bridget Grant and Deborah Dawson in 1997 revealed that over 40 percent of persons who started to drink before the age of 14 became alcohol-dependent while only 10 percent of the subjects who started drinking at 20 years of age and older became alcohol-dependent (Hallford and Frame par. 2). In like manner, the Denise Kandel and Kazuo Yamaguchi study in 1993 showed that “adolescents who use harder drugs” (e,g, cocaine or crack) started using either one of the “gateway drugs” (e.g. cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana) “two years earlier than adolescents who did not advance to harder drugs” (Hallford and Frame par. 2).

The rationale for the prohibition of drug and alcohol and drug use is to keep high school students, being young and vulnerable to vices, from substances that could ruin their future or harm their physical being. Only persons of legal age are allowed to drink alcohol while illegal drugs can never be used legally. Other types of drugs can be allowed only for therapeutic or medical use. Usage by adolescents and teenagers can be attributed to societal and peer influences, family and psychological problems, image building, or simply the enjoyment one gets from taking in such substances.

The school is seen as a venue for substance use prevention and school policies on substance use play a major role in the promotion of health in schools” (Evans-Whipp and Beyers par. 1). Since schools should teach morals, values, and proper attitude and behavior to students so that they can live an upright life, they are appropriately situated to impose a total ban on the use of drugs and alcohol inside the campuses and during school events. Evans-Whipp and Beyers (par. 3) said that the school is an advantageous venue for students to see “behavioral models and interact with others who have a different outlook on substance use (qt. in Durlak 1997; Baum 1998; Hawkins et al. 1998; Bond et al. 2001; Catford 2001; Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services 2001; Butler et al. 2002; Hallford and Van Dorn 2002).

The “health-promoting schools,” a program structure supported by WHO (qt. in WHO 1996), which was later backed by European countries and Australia mirrors the principle that schools are partners in the promotion of learning and healthy development among adolescents and teenagers (Evans-Whipp and Beyers par. 3). Such health-promoting schools may utilize different approaches to enhance their roles through curricula modification, teaching, and new school policies (Evans-Whipp and Beyers par. 3). However, Evans-Whipp and Beyers (par. 4) highlighted that school policies on drugs were given “less empirical attention than drug education curricula and programs” (qt. in White and Pitts 1998; Flay 2000) which play a vital role in laying norms of behavior and establishment of rules for control of student behavior (qt. in Goodstadt 1989).

Substance abuse by adolescents and its injurious effects worry the “parents, policymakers, teachers and public health officials” (Hallford and Frame par. 1). However, youth in pre-adolescent to late adolescent stages continually experiment with substances (Hallford and Frame par. 1). Trying out substances at very young ages becomes problematic when frequency increases, alone and undergoing emotional changes (Hallford and Frame par. 1). Substance abuse was also linked to “risky sexual behavior, delinquent behavior, and low school achievement” (Hallford and Frame par. 1).

The federal government control over the problem

The government and private institutions collaborate to curb or lessen substance use by teenage and adolescent students. The Office of National Drug Policy provides funding for schools to participate in substance use prevention and a research agency was established for this purpose (Baxter 2 par. 2). The federal government has continually been involved since the 1990s in the dissemination of prevention programs and enjoin school districts to select, implement and evaluate programs on substance use reduction to qualify for funding from the Safe and Drug-Free Schools program (Hallford and Frame par. 14). Other government agencies (National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention) also provide funding with the federal agencies, scientific groups, and private foundations laying the guidelines and criteria for evidence assessment on the efficacy of the programs (Hallford and Frame par. 14).

Written policies in the use of tobacco are widely utilized in the US elementary, middle and junior, as well as senior high schools, wherein two-thirds of all schools, prohibit everyone in the school buildings and campuses to smoke and also during events sponsored by schools (qt. in Small et al. 2001). The modified policy can equally be adopted and implemented in alcohol and drug use.

There is 39.5 percent of all schools that engaged student violators of alcohol prohibition in assistance programs while 44.8 percent of schools use such programs for illegal drug use (Evans-Whipp and Beyers par. 9). In the US, drug-testing in more than 1,200 schools carried out proved to be successful in the reduction of the use of drugs of students (Baxter 1 par. 3). Implementation of a drug-testing program in Hunterdon Central Regional High School in New Jersey caused a marked decrease in “cocaine use by seniors from 13% to 4% after two years (Baxter 1 par. 4). In Autauga Country, Alabama, schools experienced a decrease from 19% to 12% of marijuana use (Baxter 1 par. 4). On the other hand, 85% of Indiana schools had an increase in drug use when drug-testing ceased, and only declined when testing was continued (Baxter 1 par. 4). In the National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse by Columbia University, 67 percent of teenagers and 60 percent conceded that undertaking drug tests effectively prevent teenagers from taking illicit drugs (Baxter 1 par. 5). Drug-testing is not punitive, not punishing students, and provides a good reason for students to refuse when pressured by peers to take drugs (Baxter 1 par. 6-7).

Evans-Whipp and Beyers (par. 10) said that stricter penalty to younger violators is seen to benefit them more than older students, in that middle and junior high schools impose out-of-school suspensions for tobacco violations while senior high schools merely impose in-school suspension or detention (qt. in Ross et al. 1995).

Generally, records showed that there were lesser school policies on alcohol and drugs use than in tobacco use (Evans-Whipp and Beyers par. 8). However, Evans-Whipp and Beyers (par. 8) emphasized that the US has the majority of its schools implementing written policies on the prohibition on alcohol and drug use by students (qt. in Ross et al. 1995; Crossett et al. 1999; Small et al. 2001). Furthermore, Evans-Whipp and Beyers (par. 8) mentioned that more than two-thirds of schools in the US declared specific areas in the school campus as drug-free (qt. in Ross et al. 1995).

Victoria, Australia, and Washington, USA embarked on a research project called the International Youth Development Study (IYDS) to study youth development in congruence with the use of substances and drug policies of schools (Evans-Whipp and Beyers par. 20). Evans-Whipp and Beyers (par. 20) mentioned that while the schools determine particular elements of drug policies, national, state, and district authorities provide general guidelines for schools to follow (qt. in Small et al. 2001). The general objective of the federal drug policy is the diminution in the amount of drug use (qt. in Caulkins and Reuter 1997) to be implemented at the school level with “abstinence-based and reflect zero tolerance for substance use” (Evans-Whipp par. 21). Under zero tolerance, possession, use, or sale of alcohol and drugs shall be punished severely with suspension, expulsion, or referral to law enforcement authorities (Evans-Whipp par. 21).

Evans-Whipp and Beyers (par. 22) said that many schools have written policies on zero tolerance (qt. Martin et al. 1999; Small et al. 2001) but implementation is rather difficult, causing dilemmas on the part of administrators, mentors, and counselors (qt. in Pentz et al. 1997), since suspension or expulsion of a student would not deter him/her from further use of drugs and would bar the school from involvement in the reform of the user (qt. in Hallfors and Van Dorn 2002).

Conclusion

Evidence showed that young individuals tend to be more vulnerable to drug and alcohol use and prone to substance abuse and overuse later in life. But still, many schools have no comprehensive written policies on drug and alcohol use. Therefore, Clements High School should adopt a comprehensive written policy to curb alcohol and drug use. Lessening consumption of these young people must not be the only goal of Clements but total abstinence, especially that they are still at a tender age. Since drugs and alcohol use had not shown any benefit to the user, it is just proper that adolescents and teenagers should not initiate a move taste such substances. But for those who have already used such substances, an information campaign directed towards them should be made to explain the ill effects and deaths such substances caused, and that the substances will only ruin their future and lives.

I agree that expulsion from school is not the proper sanction for violating the existing drug and alcohol policies of Clements High School. Out-of-school or in-school suspensions, or participation in community activities, would be the appropriate sanctions so that the violator, during the period of the sanction, can be included in the training, rehabilitation, or reform programs that would transform the point-of-view of the violators towards drugs, alcohol, family, and society and inculcate values and norms for a happy and successful life.

Since evidence and studies point out that drug testing is an effective approach to prevent early drug use (Baxter 2 par. 4), Clements High School can utilize this approach for the good of its students. “Random breath testing, roadside drug testing, and testing in workplaces to ensure a safe environment” are conducted to adults, and funding are solicited for such purpose (Baxter 2 par. 3). Funding can also be solicited to undertake this test for the good health and safety of minors. Government agencies would be willing to provide financial support if the program proved to be effective.

References

Baxter, Jo. “Our Children Deserve and Need a Safe School Environment.” The Age. 2008. Web.

Clements High School. “About Clements High School.” CHS. 2008. Web.

Evans-Whipp, Tracy, Jennifer M. Beyers, Sian Lloyd, Andrea N. Lafazia, John W. Toumbourou, Michael W. Arthur and Richard F. Catalino. A Review of School Drug Policies and their Impact on Youth Substance Use. Health Promotion International. 13.2 (2004): 227-234. Web.

Hallfors, Denise E. and Laura Frame. “Substance Abuse – Trends in Substance Use, Approaches to Preventing Substance Abuse.” Child Development Reference. 7 (2008). Web.

Nissl, Jan. “Alcohol and Drug Problems.” Peace Health. 2007. Web.

Abstract

Alcohol abuse among the adolescents and teenagers is a major issue affecting most societies today. More and more adolescents are getting involved with the consumption of alcohol with major consequences not only for the individuals but also for the society. Factors which leads to this phenomenon are largely embedded in the social system manifested in cognition and can be reduced through the education system since it affects the school going population.

Introduction

Various factors, both personal and environmental, seem to predispose adolescents and teenagers from being exposed to harm from alcohol consumption. Of the most powerful determinants, environmental factors have been identified as determining the pattern and level of use. Personal risk factors include the exposure and use of alcohol at an early stage in life, unhealthy or insufficient healthy bonding, non conventionality, deviant behavior, having a role model within or outside the family who drinks, pleasure seeking, low religiosity and self acceptance. There is also a marked difference between individuals experiencing their alcohol consumption at an early stage in life and those who have a well established harm from use.

There is both personal and interpersonal meaning to the use of alcohol and an essential set of values which cannot be distinguished from the perceived negative consequences and benefits associated with it. Alcohol consumption among the adolescents and teenagers occur as a result of various complex and interrelated factors which includes peers, social environment, advertising, self image and boredom (Mitchell, 1998. p 28). Mostly, the use of drugs is often associated with beneficial experiences which have the capacity to enhance socialization. These experiences are further associated with a change in the state of consciousness which stimulates the excitement for risk taking.

Factors which lead to excessive alcohol consumption among teenagers and adolescents

General Factors

In the United States, drinking is highly discouraged before adulthood. However, the popular culture has led to young people being introduced to alcohol at an earlier age, probably within the family in the context of meals and celebrations. This permissive and integrative approach to drinking is common in cultures with Mediterranean style of drinking. The drinking pattern of young people is generally determined by the overall drinking culture. For instance, young people within the Mediterranean culture are likely to drink than their counterparts in other regions. However, they are often less likely to engage in dangerous drinking habits unlike their Scandinavian counterparts (Nebbitt, 2007. p 77). These findings show that culture play an integral role in shaping drinking patterns for young people.

Other factors also help develop and shape young people’s attitude towards alcohol consumption. These factors mainly exist within the family since they largely depend on the general family attitude towards alcohol. Parents through their drinking habits may influence the young people to adopt the same habits since as a young person grows within the family, he or she learns what is acceptable from within it. For instance, in a family where one or both of the parents drink, there is a high likelihood of a child growing up within this set up to develop the habit of drinking. However, whether the habit harms the individual in future or not depends on several factors, mostly societal and cognitive.

In the development of drinking patterns, the structure of the family may be a risk or protective factor. Young people from strong family backgrounds in terms of support and close relationships are less likely to experience excessive drinking patterns than those who come from a loosely structured family. As such, parent supervision and support is important in putting in check the behavior of young people. Beyond this, there is also the influence of religion, peers and friends which play an integral part in influencing the decision of whether to drink or not.

Socio-psychological factors

Dynamisms in the family and peer relationships coupled with alterations in cognition and growth related to puberty play a major role in the onset and escalation of the use of alcohol. Between the ages of ten and fifteen, the youths begin to forge associations with their peers which in turn results in less time with the parents and families. At around these ages, the awareness of societal influence by the youths erodes their thought processes. Their processing of cultural messages as exhibited by the media and their peers becomes more or less like that of grown ups.

With regard to drinking, young people come to associate it with heroism and boldness which influences them to take up the habit. Early adolescents develop their thinking from the society and more so from observing the behavior of their peers (Gail, 2004 p14). The mass media influences the perception of the youths with regard to alcohol use since it displays scenes of adolescents engaging in drinking habits without suffering any negative consequences.

Alcohol use by the adolescents can also be attributed to changes which occur in the brain during this period of human development associated with neurocognitive functions which involve risk taking and decision making. With this regard, biological effects of puberty also influence alcohol use in early adolescence.

Behavioral changes in adolescents and teenagers due to alcohol consumption

Alcohol use among the young people and harmful behaviors in future may be predicted especially during adolescence. Teenagers involved with alcohol use are more likely to abuse them in the future than those who are not yet exposed. Evidence also indicates that the harmful and reckless alcohol use by the majority of young people is as a result of gradual development over time. Generally, increased responsibility reduces drug abuse patterns and hence young people should be informed through the education system on the dangers of drug abuse. In the adult perspective, drug abuse among the young people is associated with negative health consequences.

Since alcohol alters brain development among the teenagers and adolescents involved in its intake, their behaviors are bound to change. Teenagers who drink are likely to be violent towards their peers, not to mention lack of respect for their seniors (Wechsler, Lee, Nelson & Kuo, 2002 p 225-226). They are also more likely to be involved in criminal acts. Generally, alcohol consumption among teenagers and adolescents may be linked to juvenile delinquency.

Impact of alcohol consumption on education and future of adolescents and teenagers

Evidence show that repeated exposure to alcohol results in a persistent deficit in cognitive abilities among the adolescents (Graves, 2000 p 35). This influences their academic ability due to decreased capacity to learn and memorize. The result is that adolescents involved in alcohol consumption will most likely drop out of school which will in turn jeopardize their future. Research indicate that teenage alcohol use, especially when it can result into withdrawal when stopped, damage attention and memory which are the two most important abilities for reconciling the tasks of adolescents and facilitating successful transition into adulthood (Oesterle, S. et al 2004 p 205). These impairments result from alterations in the functions of the brain which may make it difficult for the youth to integrate into the learning system (National Institute of Health, 2003)

Methods used to prevent alcohol consumption in adolescents and teenagers

It is always very important to prevent the beginning of drug use among the teenagers since this is the period they experience major cognitive, social, biological and emotional changes which may influence their decision to take drugs. Prevention programs in the United States have demonstrated success with regard to reducing drug use. However, reviews of research on school based drug abuse prevention pointed towards variability in the extent of program effects.

The approach that has been proposed by researchers as a probably effective and appropriate intervention method is the community approach. These community approaches as a way of realizing positive changes in the lives of the young people target the entire community. Evidence suggests that that positive impact has been realized with regard to alcohol use through the adoption of community approaches. This is however inconclusive owing to lack of control groups and the use of poor evaluation methodology.

Individual approaches on the other hand focus on providing training for the development of self control skills at an individual level so as to bring about changes in the pattern of drug use. The skill training is often integrated with bicultural competence so as to equip the young people with coping skills which will enable them to negotiate between the popular culture and native cultures. This increases the sense of self efficacy in both cultures. Evidence from research supports this bicultural approach. From research findings, young people who acquired culturally-sensitive skills training exhibited positive change with regard to drinking behaviour.

The strategy which is widely adopted to combat drug misuse combines both enforcement and prevention approaches. Because of the complexity of the drinking problem, the approach incorporates partnership between government departments, agencies and groups in planning and delivering programs. The strategy focuses on four targets which include community, young people, availability and treatment. Its purpose is to help young people resist drug abuse so they may achieve full potential (Poth, Greenberg & Turrisi, 2008). Its key objective is to decrease the number of adolescents and teenagers who report illegal drug use within the past months and previous years. The goal was to be accomplished through introducing drug education in schools. It also targeted drug prevention programs which focus on the young people exposed to risk.

The preferred approach to handling drug related issues within the context of education has been school drug education. Even though part of a community or a comprehensive national approach, the empirical benefits from these school programs has been limited as much as there have been high expectations of successful outcomes (Shannon, 2005 p 117). Information concerning drugs and alcohol use is often provided by education departments which also carry out sessions of discussion, decision making and skill building programs. Interventions which sometimes are conducted by personnel of divergent backgrounds and experience are sometimes one-off. There is a general notion that the efforts of these drug education programs are not effective in either delaying or preventing use. As such, they fail to identify and address the associated problems and needs of the young people. (Komro & Toomey 2002 p 8).

Various efforts have been made at state and national levels within the United States to address school drug education exhaustively. The United States’ National Initiatives in Drug Education project through integrated information strategy was focused on promoting the importance of drug education in schools. This it does through targeting teachers, principals, administrators and the entire community. It also aims at providing teachers and parents with knowledge necessary in assisting the schools and the communities to tackle the issue of drugs in an integrated and sustainable way. Various departments in states within the United States have achieved specialized and complementary approaches to the drug problem.

Health Promoting Schools framework has also been identified as effective in addressing alcohol, drug and other health related issues in the United States. Through providing complementary health practices and policies, the classroom health and learning experiences have been reinforced in schools within this network. The key elements include incorporating social, mental, physical and environmental aspects of health. It also involves the development of a detailed school health curriculum, close parental cooperation, increased participation by the students and staff in policy development and decision making and support for health promoting programs by all the parties involved.

Conclusion

It is the responsibility of every family and learning institution to consider its response to drugs and alcohol use among teenagers and adolescents. The main purpose of drug education is to prepare pupils for healthy and informed choices when it comes to drugs and drug abuse. Expectations on how drug education affects schools are often high just like those of social, personal and health education. These expectations are centered on increasing knowledge, changing attitudes and enhancing skills. As such, these targets are difficult to achieve when they are exclusively centered on the schools.

It has been observed that the quality of drug education provisions in schools is improving. The planning of drug education programs has been improved with many schools in a better position to handle alcohol related problems and incidences. As much as schools, through drug education programs, enable pupils to acquire knowledge on drugs and their effects, friends and families also play an important role.

References

Egendorf, L. K. (Ed.). (2001). Teen alcoholism: Contemporary issues companion. California: Green haven Press.

Gail, S. (2004). Teens & alcohol. New Jersey: Mason Crest.

Graves, B. (2000). Alcohol use and abuse: Perspectives on physical health. Minnesota: Capstone Press.

Komro, K. A., & Toomey, T. L. (2002). Strategies to prevent underage drinking. Alcohol Research & Health, 26 (1), 5, 10. EBSCOhost (Masterfile Premier), Item number: 7186824.

Mitchell, H. R. (1998). Teen alcoholism: Teen issues. California: Lucent Books.

National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse Alcoholism. (2003). Underage drinking: A major public health challenge. 2008. Web.

Nebbitt, J. (2008) Alcohol and culture. Howard University press.

Poth, R., Greenberg, M., & Turrisi, R. (2008). Preventive interventions addressing underage drinking: State of the evidence and steps toward public health impact. Pediatrics, 121, 311-336. Abstract retrieved from EBSCOhost Academic Search Masterfile Premier database.

Oesterle, S., Hill, K. G., Hawkins, J.D., Guo, J., and R.F. Catalano. (2004). Adolescent Heavy Episodic Drinking Trajectories and Health In Young Adulthood. Journal of Studies on Alcohol.

Shannon, J. B. (Ed.). (2005). Alcohol information for teens: Health tips about alcohol and alcoholism. Michigan: Omnigraphics.

Wechsler, H., Lee, J. E., Nelson, T. F., & Kuo, M. (2002). Underage college students’ drinking behavior, access to alcohol, and the influence of deterrence policies. Journal of American College Health, 50 (5). EBSCOhost (Masterfile Premier), Item number: 6755896.

Introduction

The present paper looks at the issues of alcohol and the part that this liquid plays in violent crimes and offences in three major countries of the world: the U.K., the United States, and Australia. The paper extensively reviews research studies from a number of sources to investigate the present state of alcohol-related crimes and their possible causes. At the end of the paper, recommendations and suggestions conclude the paper.

Alcohol-Related Crimes

It is only at present day context that alcohol and drug use is viewed as a social problem. It was not this way in the past. Different drugs have been used for medication since ancient times. However, in the nineteenth century they were seen as a problem and were condemned. Alcohol came to notice this very while (Bennett, and Holloway, 2005, pp. 15-16). There are number of crimes with which alcohol is seen associated. These crimes are, however, other than drink driving and drunkenness: two cases of offence in which excessive drinking is the crime. There is great public concern with regard to alcohol-related crimes. Roughly 70% of crime audits in England and Wales published in years 1998 and 1999 had the mention of alcohol as an issue in crimes, more importantly in the matters of public disorder. The term “alcohol-related crime” is usually used to refer to offences that involve a blend of offences of criminal damages, drunk and disorderly and other offences that are related to public order. The very term also involves young males who typically belong to an age group from 18 to 30 years of age. The third concept that stands with it is when there is offence and disorder in the areas of entertainment in towns and city centers. Apart from this, there are other areas in which offences and crimes are linked to alcohol but which do not necessarily fall in the context of the three conditions noted above. In the UK, the Police Superintendents have come to show their concerns related to alcohol-related crimes that at present half of all crimes occur just because there is alcohol involved. A 1990 study in the same country revealed that as the consumption of beer increased, it became the single most critical factor in explaining the growth in crimes. Furthermore, a huge volume of research indicates that massive numbers of victims of violent crimes are either drinking or found to be under the influence of alcohol while the assault happened. A very recent study conducted from April 2004 to March 2005 found that 37% of all offenders were found with a current problem with the use of alcohol; and that 37% (the equal proportion) were detected as with binge drinking problem; and that 47% of them had, in the past, misused alcohol; 32% showed violent behavior with relation to their use of alcohol; whereas 38% were detected to carry a criminogenic need which was related to misuse of alcohol, more likely to be related to their risk of being reconvicted. Research has also found that in three-quarters of domestic violence instances (73%) alcohol was consumed; it was a “feature” in 62% of the cases (almost two-thirds). Half of the offenders of domestic violence were dependent on alcohol. British Medical Association related that alcohol plays to be a factor in homicide cases from 60% to 70%; in stabbing it is 75%; in the cases of beatings it is 70%; domestic assaults and fights it is 50% (Institute of Alcohol Studies, 2008).

All seen, what is worth mentioning is that in UK the whole picture is confusing due to inconsistent data relation in different domains and departments. For example, it is possible that police record may show a reduced number of cases whereas it is possible that the cases were more than the ones reported. In addition, police figures can also provide a false state of the direction of different trends in criminal activities. British Crime Survey is viewed to underestimate the number of criminal events taking place in reality. The reason is this survey excludes different crimes against youth who are under 16. However, the survey findings are full of incidents, criminal reports, evidence, and figures that a massive amount of crimes basically had the factor of alcohol in them. The following chart shows BCS survey findings from 1995 to 2006-7 about factor of alcohol in criminal attempts (Institute of Alcohol Studies, 2008).

Alcohol and Crime in the U.S.

In the U.S. the picture is not any different from that of the UK though figures might vary. About 1/3 of the convicted criminals in the U.S. under supervision of correctional measures told that they were under alcoholic influence at the time of arrest. Surprisingly the alcohol factor is the cause of more crimes than all other drugs put together. From 1992 to 1995 out of eleven million people victimized in violence, 2.2 million had a perception that the criminals were under the influence of alcohol. Other figures that call for deeper probing and investigation with regard to crimes, offence, and violation and the use of alcohol by the offenders in the U.S. present an alarming situation. The particular area of trouble in the U.S., however, is domestic violence in which 2/3 of cases involve alcohol in violent victimization. Further, 3 quarters assault cases in spousal instances have alcohol as the basic factor. Drug and other factors are much less than what alcohol factor alone presents the situation to be. As such, concerns are being strongly raised with regard to domestic violence in the U.S. and their link with alcohol. Research suggests that in the U.S. 70% of the cases of offence that involved alcohol took place within a residence and 10% further cases took place in a restaurant or bar. Hence it is emphasized that strategy be built with relation to these particular settings and alcohol (Travis, 2000).

The situation in Austria presents a similar challenge for authorities when it comes to the factor of alcohol and criminal activities. According to recent research, (by Australian Centre for Policing Research and other departments) criminals especially juveniles who have drug use history regularly consume alcohol and other drugs. The factor of alcohol is very much manifest in detecting the crimes they committed (NSW Government, 2008).

Alcohol and Crime in Colleges

In the year 1995, there were reportedly 463,000 (31%) of cases that were related to the use of alcohol. However, 90% of these alcohol-related cases that involved college students took place off their campus. The very critical condition goes as follows:

“Per capita arrest rates for alcoholic beverage law violations (including prohibited manufacture, sale or possession of alcohol and maintaining illegal drinking places but excluding public drunkenness and driving-related offenses) are highest at public, four-year colleges. Per capita arrest rates for alcoholic beverage law violations (including prohibited manufacture, sale or possession of alcohol and maintaining illegal drinking places but excluding public drunkenness and driving-related offenses) are highest at public, four-year colleges”.

In addition, there are a number of both public and private universities where alcohol education programs have been given acute attention due to the increasing crime rate in relation to the use of alcohol. According to a survey, 59% of public sector universities in the U.S. and 43% of the private colleges in the same country conduct such programs to reduce the likelihood of the use of alcohol that is consequently seen to the catalyzer of crime (National Council of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, 1998).

Moreover, the U.S. Department of Justice Report on Alcohol and Crime came to a finding that the issue of alcohol as a factor in crime was 40% of violent criminal activities and offences attempted in the U.S. If we compare this present state of crime and alcohol use, we find that in 1983 the per capita arrest rate was almost 34% lower than what it is now in the country (Buddy, 2003).

Conclusion

In the above examination of cases, research findings, and surveys from three countries, i.e., the UK, the U.S. and Australia clearly show that there is dire link between violent crimes and offences and use of alcohol. The more important thing today, hence, is to seriously address this issue. The particular instances in which the alcohol-related crimes occur must study so that offenders and offenders-to-be can be oriented about the evils of alcohol and crimes committed under its influence. The governments of such countries must make sure that this factor is reduced in the future.

Works Cited

Bennett, T., & Holloway, K. (2005). Understanding drugs, alcohol and crime. Maidenhead: Open University Press, England, pp. 5-25.

NSW Government (2008). Alcohol related crime. Web.

National Council of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, (1998). FYI: Alcohol and crime. 2008. Web.

Buddy, T (2003). Crime and alcohol: alcohol a factor in 40 percent of violent crimes. 2008. Web.

Travis, J. (2000). Alcohol and crime: new strategies for crime prevention. 2008. Web.

Institute of Alcohol Studies (2008). Alcohol and crime: IAS factsheets: Web.

Introduction

For this course, the chosen topic entails reducing risky alcohol taking behavior. The first time I resorted to drinking, I thought that it was the mark of self-autonomy, a mark that clearly shows the desired “freedom” that comes with maturity. I had a desire to prove that I had attained the natural maturity age as opposed to the prescribed age of the majority as it is put by the constitution. Therefore, the reason I resulted in drinking was more of a deviance-related reason and a general expression of disobedience associated with late teenage hood.

Reducing Risky Alcohol Taking

The choice for this topic has been motivated by the rising number of youths who engage in alcoholic activities before they attain the age of majority. Having started taking alcohol at mid-teenage-hood years, and with my current understanding of the possible dangers that youths may be engaging themselves in, I chose to deal with this topic as it may offer insights that may change the behavioral balance of the teenagers. Besides this, the issue of underage drinking is yet to be resolved in America with the number of teenagers, some as young as twelve and thirteen years, who report having used alcohol rising steadily.

After successfully undergoing the pre-contemplation and contemplation as outlined by the Transtheoretical Model, currently, I am at a preparation stage where I am preparing to take any action towards an effective decision that will see me drop the unwanted behavior of excessive drinking. Therefore, I am in this stage because I have contemplated quitting, and thus, I am preparing to adopt a newer life.

As evidenced by the decision matrix, it is clear that my willingness to change is more outstanding compared to the drawbacks that may make someone cling to this behavior. The costs of continuing with the behavior are far too many compared to the benefits that I stand to gain if I change my behavioral approaches. Therefore, my current motivation to change is at its peak as the level of realization of the detriments of my behavior is at its peak.

Conclusion

When my willingness to change is examined, the decision matrix cannot be said to be the sole source of motivation to change. However, the inputs of this matrix cannot be ignored. The decision matrix has made an immense contribution to catalyzing the motivation to change. This is because the matrix has a way of juxtaposing the pros and the cons of the behavior which has a huge cognitive effect as one gets to learn various issues concerning the behavior. Therefore, the matrix has greatly assisted in influencing the level of motivation towards the desired behavior change.

Introduction

As already identified, I would desire to lessen my general alcohol intake. Although I cannot classify myself as a drug dependant person as far as alcohol consumption is concerned, it is important to note that for health and social reasons, I would desire to lower my level of alcohol intake. This change is motivated by a long-term goal of becoming a healthy person as alcohol may jeopardize one’s health as it is excessive consumption causes liver cirrhosis among other diseases. The long term goal is to eliminate alcohol consumption as part of my list of consumables.

Medical and social reasons for drinking alcohol

Several health benefits are associated with low consumption of alcohol. Although Booley, (2006) notes that alcohol consumed in low quantities is beneficial to the body, he is quick to add that when consumed in large quantities, alcohol can outpace the benefits created by its consumption. One major benefit that one gets from a lack of consumption of alcohol is the reduced chances of contracting alcohol related diseases (Booley, 2006).

Consumption of alcohol has been associated with several types of cancers such as cancer of the liver, mouth, pharynx, breast among others. Consumption of alcohol is also associated with pregnancy problems, poorly developed fetus, birth malfunctions among other pregnancy-related issues (Stimmel, 2008). Socially, alcohol has been associated with increased social evils, suicides, and car accidents (Booley, 2006). Therefore, quitting this risky behavior helps a person to avoid all the identified problems.

SMART Goals

• Reduce alcohol intake from the current level to manageable levels such as two bottles per intake.
• Ensure that I do not engage myself in forums that may influence my behavior negatively.
• Continue equipping myself with the knowledge that may help in controlling alcohol consumption.

Despite these elaborated goals, there may be some obstacles that may hinder the achievement of the main goals. These obstacles may include behavioral obstacles where one may be inhibited by past behaviors such as social gatherings from quitting the unhealthy behavior.

Emotions may also jeopardize the achievability of the identified goals. As experienced by many alcoholics, emotional distress is easily countered by imbibing some alcohol and thus any attribute that affects the emotions may affect the behavior of the affected persons. Placing oneself in a situation where there are high rates of alcoholism such as bars can jeopardize the goal to quit alcoholism. Finally, the thoughts can inhibit the achievement of the set goals. People who are pursuing a specific goal must remain positive as far as their thoughts are concerned.

To overcome behavioral obstacles, one can use behavior modification techniques that guarantee that behaviors that encourage alcoholisms are eliminated. To counter emotional obstacles, one can obtain relevant counseling that will ensure that emotional instabilities do not result to further alcohol intake. Situational challenges can easily be avoided by ensuring that all situations that may jeopardize the goals set by a subject are perfectly and tactfully avoided. To overcome the obstacles that are brought about by thoughts, one can adopt measures that can lead to positive thinking which helps in making the subject focus on the achievability of the goals.

The facilitators and the enablers can help in various ways. The first way that can be of immense help from the facilitator is through positive behavior reinforcement where a subject is trained by the facilitator to embrace positive behavior. They can also help in counseling and encouraging one to remain focused on the ultimate goal.

References

Booley, T., A. (2006). Alcohol and Your Liver: The Incredibly Disgusting Story. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group.

Stimmel, B. (2008). The Effects of maternal alcohol and drug abuse on the newborn. New York: Routledge.

There are two types of ways to enjoy alcohol, the first way is through social drinking. This is the kind of drink that one has with meals or at social functions. During the meal, wines are paired with the dishes for maximum flavoring effect. After dinner, there is a dessert wine served with the sweets. Drinking a glass of wine or a can or two of beer during a social event is acceptable and does not impair the physical ability and senses of a person. However, the other way of enjoying alcohol, the overboard, drink till one passes out kind of enjoyment is something that should very well be considered an addiction. Although medical studies suggest that regulated consumption of alcohol has its medical benefits, drinking to the point of addiction does nothing but harm a person physically, mentally, and socially. Once a person loses control of his alcohol intake and refuses to acknowledge it, he can be considered an alcoholic and in need of intervention or help. Teenagers are not exempted from alchololism, but, unlike the adult counterparts, they do not know how and where to seek help when they want to get over the addiction. This paper hopes to discuss what alcoholism is, how a person becomes an alcoholic, and finally, what resources are available for teenagers and adults alike who recognize they have a problem and want to be free of it.

Alcoholism is such a generic and vague definition of the problem. Historicaly, it is used to define the condition by with a person reacts to the more than natural intake of alcoholic beverages. The MedicineNet.com website defines alcoholism as a” physical dependence on alcohol to the extent that stopping alcohol use will bring on withdrawal symptoms. In popular and therapeutic parlance, the term may also be used to refer to ingrained drinking habits that cause health or social problems. “(MedicineNet.com, 1999).

However, people should not confuse alcoholism with the consistency by which a person partakes of alcoholic beverages. Simply put, a society cannot define every person who gulps down a can or two of beer or has a shot or two of Tequila as an alcoholic. The truth is that there are many medical factors to consider when trying to diagnose a person as an alcoholic. Alcohol tends to attack the brain, liver, and other organs of the body thus causing various health complications for the alcoholic. They tend to become delusional and distruful of others because the alcohol impairs their sense of logic. But, those signs may also be clues to other illnesses so it is important that we learn to differentiate between an alcoholic and the next person.

First of all, one has to realize and understand that most alcoholics are in denial of their condition and will never admit to having a problem with booze. That is why one should be mindful and on the look out for signs and symptoms of alcoholism once alcoholism is suspected. According to the Mayo Clinic, the American Psychiatric Association has developed a list of symptoms that can accurately determine if a person is alcoholic. Listed under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, some of the symptoms to look out for can be charted as follows:

Although alcohol dependent people display the same symptoms as alcohol abusers (known as alcoholics in general), alcohol abusers experience physical withdrawal symptoms that dependents do not display. While alcohol dependents need a reason to drink, an abuser just drinks because he wants to experience the high one gets from being drunk. He is still in control of his thoughts but not his physical faculties. Alcoholism is a major illness that causes a person to lose control of his life. It is a very gradual spiralling into darkness that the person does not even realize is happening to himself. This is why they refuse to admit they have a drinking problem and that is also why it is his peers who notice the problem and try to call his attention to the situation.

The medical professionals cannot really tell us what causes alcoholism although there are some sign and symptoms that could point to the potential causes of the illness depending upon the situation of a person. Most often, there is a history of alcoholism in the family and men seem to be more prone to it than women. We can also view the causes of alcoholism as somewhat related to genetics or the possibility that there was an alcoholic present in the household who was emulated by the person later on in life, emotional stress, psychological factors like low self esteem or depression, and social or cultural factors that make drinking excessively an acceptable part of life. There are also alcoholics who first used the drinking as an excuse to relieve themselves of anxiety, depression, tension, loneliness, self doubt, or unhappiness. No, it is not true that anybody can just stop once the addiction has started to get out of control. Serious medical and psychological interventions are often necessary before the problem results in life ending medical complications or accidents. Some of these interventions include.

The problem is even worse for teen-agers who are at that stage in their lives where peer pressure plays a significant role in their development as a person. It is during this time of experimentation and learning that they often lose their way and end up abusing alcohol just to fit in during parties and other social events. For them, alcohol is the same as using drugs. It causes a significant change in personalities and physical abilities of the teen. It causes a sanitizing effect that blurs his capability analyze situations and alters his perception and concentration. Alcoholism at such an early stage in life usually results in life altering predicaments that, once they have gotten over their addiction, they realize they are incapable of handling.

Teenagers who are experiencing social problems in school are often encouraged by non educated friends to experiment with alcohol in order to gain a sense of gurmption that allows them to do things they would not normally do if they were sober. For some teenagers who have low self esteem, drinking and eventually becoming an alcoholic only makes the problem worse as they undergo physical changes that make them even more unacceptable to their peers. Some of these changes include weight gain, bad breath, clumsiness, acne and pimples, or loss of self control.

Admittedly, the entertainment industry has caused alcohol consumption to come across as the cool thing for young people to be doing. That is one reason why underage drinking has become such a problem. Adults admittedly drink and keep alcohol in the house. Either a bottle of wine of a can of beer in the fridge. These serve to enhance the image of drinking in the eyes of the youth and only encourage them to try it out. Just like their television and movie counterparts. Due to the lack of alcohol information given by parents to their children, they usually end up drinking without realizing that the end results will always be adverse and there is nothing cool or hip about throwing up your guts into a trash can and then going back for more because you were pressured to do it.

Perhaps the best way to explain why these alcoholic beverages causes a different reaction in a teen agers body is thoroughly understanding the alcoholic content of various alcoholic beverages. According to the website FamilyDoctor.org, ” Beer usually contains 3% to 5% alcohol. Wine has 9% to 16%. Hard liquor usually contains the highest levels (up to 50%). All states consider an adult to be intoxicated, or drunk, at 0.08% blood level of alcohol. For a man who weighs 170 pounds, this might mean only 4 beers (12-ounce cans) on an empty stomach in an hour. For a woman who weighs 137 pounds, this might mean less than 3 beers in an hour. For people under 21, all states now have zero-tolerance laws, which means you are breaking the law if you drive with any alcohol in your system.” (FamilyDoctor.org website, n.d.)

As you can see from the information supplied, there is no such thing as a harmless drink. Once a person ingests the beverage, it changes the body metabolism and impairs functions without exception.

Although alcoholism is considered an incurable disease at the moment, it is still treatable provided the alcoholic recognizes he has a problem and submits to treatment and constant supervision. Making the person realize he has a problem and his eventual acceptance that he has a problem, including his seeking of treatment is but the start of the healing process. Just like any addiction, an alcoholic can still fall off the wagon, more so for teen agers who get addicted while in high school.

For teenagers who are about to enter college and will be attending school far removed from the safety of home, they will be exposed to the dangers of the world without any parental supervision. In such situations, the person tends to become experimental and does not realize the pitfalls of his choices until it is too late. Alcoholism in this particular era of life is not uncommon because it becomes the release button for the stressed out minds and bodies of teenagers.

It is of the utmost importance that teenagers realize that the frat parties and clubbing they do without thinking about it could spell the difference between seeing their graduation day or saying goodbye to this world. Alcohol is an addictive drug and just like any drug, changes your personality and the way you perceive things. It makes you believe you can do things you could not do before, and you probably can. But with the side effect of slower reactions, confused thoughts, lack of concentration and coordination skills, and even loss of consciousness. Keeping that in mind, would you knowingly drink, get drunk, and drive yourself of a buddy home afterwards?

Let us look at the facts related to alcohol abuse and drunk driving. In the year 2000, the country spent about $114.3 billion dollars on alcohol related crashes (MADD, n.d.) 63% of the total crashes were alcohol related and with a drunken driver behind the wheel. As of the year 2006, there was a 36% rate of crashes with alcohol impaired drivers behind the wheel. Car crashes are the most common end result of alcohol abuse among teen agers and these crashes usually result in death or physical disabilities. No matter what articles I read, I have not come across any evidence that a person can actually have more heightened senses when driving under the influence of alcohol. DUI tests more often than not prove that the driver cannot even make his finger tips meet when asked to do so. So what point am I trying to make here? The point is that teenagers seem to have a sense of inviciblity. A belief that he or she is unbreakable and can survive anything and therefore can try anything. That is not the case when the alcohol ingested goes over the legal limit. The actual result of their actions can result in only one thing. A life altering accident.

If you have read this far into my paper, then that means that you are either very interested in the topic I am discussing, know a teenager or friend who might be an alcoholic, or, you are coming to terms with the fact that you are an alcoholic. You may find yourself asking “So, what should I do if I think I or a person I know has an alcohol problem?” Let me answer that. The next step is the hardest step you will ever have to take. You will have to make that person admit he has a problem, seek help, and complete the treatment. Or, if you are the alcoholic, you will have to accept the fact that you are one and commit yourself wholeheartedly to getting that life threatening vice under control or eliminated completely from your daily life. But how can you do all of this? Is is it even possible to seek proper help and treatment? What is the first step? Where do you go? The latter part of my research paper will now address those concerns and offer various avenues of treatment that can be done by anybody willing to go through the treatment process no matter how difficult it may get.

Once you have made the conscious decision to seek help in recovering from alcoholism, you have begun your first step towards recovery and improving your health. It is very important that you go to a family doctor to seek his treatment advice in order to receive the proper emotional support from him and your family during this trying time. There is also a possiblity of medical complications arising during the treatment so having constant medical supervision during this period is of the utmost importance to you. Some of the whithdrawal symptoms to expect during this time period are ” mood changes, such as irritability, anger, depression and anxiety, insomnia (problems sleeping) and problems with sexual function.” (FamilyDoctor.org, December 2006).

Dealing successfully with the aforementioned symptoms will mean that you are on the road to recovery. But you cannot do this without the help of your family, friends, and doctor. Those who do not deal with the withdrawal period successfully usually return to the bottle.Withdrawal symptoms do not occur in people who practice social drinking. It only happens to people who have abused the bottle over a period of time and then suddenly stop. In such cases, the person will encounter the same symptoms each time he tries to stop drinking unscuccessfully. in order to get over this first hurdle, there has to be an open communication line between you and the doctor. Honesty is the only option if you want to successfully work together on your rcovery. Aside from the emotional support your doctor gives you, he can also opt to prescribe medications to help ease the withdrawal symptoms of shakiness, anxiety and confusion early in the withdrawal phase.

It is at this point in time when an alcoholic will need his family and friends to support him and keep him strong. The tendency to commit suicide due to the lack of alcohol is strong and there are times when the alcoholic may need to be put on a suicide watch for a period of time. Once the worst is over, it is important to sign up the person, together with a friend or family member for treatment programs or a sobriety program. The most popular of these is Alcoholics Anonymous.

Such support groups are meant to help ease the healing process and lead the alcoholic towards the realization of why he ended up at the place he found himself in. It is not a place where blame is laid out. There are no scapegoats allowed because nobody is ever turned into an alcoholic by anybody. It is a personal choice that was made and can only be ended by another personal choice. If anything, the group is meant to serve as your extended family support system. The “Buddy System” is meant to insure that one will never fall off the wagon because there will always be somebody there to back him up and stop him. AA, as it is more commly called, serves as an emotional support when your immediate family is out of reach. Everyone at AA is on equal footing and not one person is better or more recovered than the other. It is a family that does not judge the alcoholic but instead reinforces his desire to recover from alcoholism.

More importantly, we have to realize that the seeds of alcoholism are planted early on in a child’s life. Admit it, we all grew up seeing our parents or some other family member having a social drink during family festivities or functions. As a child, we often wondered about the colored water and why they seemed to enjoy drinking it so much. Oftentimes, we would beg a family member to let us have a sip to no avail. Such situations strengthen a child’s desire to taste alcohol when he comes of age and often times, it is this excitement at finally being able to get a taste of the forbidden drink that makes the teen ager go overboard when drinking. Therefore, effectively communicating the effects of alcohol on a person, as well as instilling safe drinking practices must be discussed and instilled within a person from childhood. The reality that most parents choose to ignore is that children will first try alcohol during their high school and college years. Maybe even earlier if you believe studies as indicated in the website FamilyDoctor.org that indicate “80% of high school kids have tried alcohol.” (FamilyDoctor.org, 2008).

As a parent who practices responsible parenting, one must lead by example. the parents must realize that a child looks up to him as a role model. Therefore, if you want to avoid having a child with an alcohol abuse problem in the future, you should rethink how you enjoy alcohol in the presence of your child. An option would be to drink non alcoholic beverages at parties where your child is present in order to send the message that drinking alcohol is not necessary to have fun. More importantly, once a parent finds himself in a stressful situation, he must show the child that problems are solved by actively seeking solutions through dialogue and destressing by engaging in activities like sports or exercise, instead of hitting the bottle.

According to an article by Dr. Barbara P. Homeier entitled ” Kids and Alcohol”, it is important for parents to clearly define what is expected of their teen age children when they reach a certain age. She specifically mentions a behavioral contract covering a teenager’s drinking and driving. She explains that ” for teens, especially those old enough to drive, it’s a good idea to negotiate and sign a behavioral contract. This contract should spell out the way you expect your child to behave and state the consequences if your teen drives under the influence. Follow through and take the keys away, if necessary.” (Homeier, B. Kids and Alcohol, 2005).

In the end, making sure our children will not become alcoholics in the future depends upon the foundation that we set for them as children. The importance of freedom with responsibility can be directly tied in to responsible drinking by implementing rules like losing family car priveleges if the child comes home smelling of alcohol or extending curfews if a child proves to be responsible enough to not drink and drive over time.

Work Cited

Alcoholics Anonymous. (2008). Information on A.A. Web.

familydoctor.org. (2006). Alcohol: What to do if it’s a problem for you. Web.

familydoctor.org (2006) Drinking and teens. Web.

Homeier, Barbara P. (2006). Kids and alcohol. Kids Health: Information For Parents. Web.

Healthology. (2008). Alcoholism: getting past the addiction. Web.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Statistics. 2008. Web.

MayoClinic.com. (2007). Alcoholism. 2008. Web.

MayoClinic.com. (2007). Alcoholism: causes. Web.

MayoClinic.com. (2007). Alcoholism: screening and diagnosis. Web.

MedicineNet.com. (2008). Definition of Alcoholism. Web.

MedicineNet.com. ( 2008). Alcohol abuse and alcoholism. Web.

Abstract

The rates associated with university students’ alcohol consumption increased significantly. Excessive drinking became the problem which is relevant for both female and male students. Much attention is also paid to differences associated with the students’ self-rated health. The aim of this study is to research the alcohol consumption levels among the university students, state whether there is an association between alcohol consumption and gender, and focus on differences in the self-rated health status of female and male students.

A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with involving 70 first-year male and female students from the Linkoping University. Participants were provided with questionnaires to state their drinking behaviors and health status. The results were measured with the help of the chi-squared distribution and t test. It is found that there are differences in alcohol consumption among genders, and the most active alcohol consumers are female students. It is also stated that female students are inclined to note their health status as high in comparison with male students.

Differences between Genders

The rates associated with alcohol consumption among university students rise each year, and excessive drinking can affect the self-rated health significantly. Researchers are inclined to state that female students drink less than male students, and women also state the highest self-rated health status among university students (Demirchyan, Petrosyan, & Thompson, 2012, p. 68).

The problem is in the fact that today the difference in alcohol consumption related to genders can be discussed as meaningless because of changes in correlations, and male and female students often demonstrate equal rates in excessive drinking (White & Hingson, 2014, p. 202). Thus, to address the real-life problem associated with changes in the alcohol consumption tendencies, it is necessary to answer the following research questions: Is there an association between alcohol consumption and gender? Are there differences in the self-rated health between genders?

The aim of this research is to provide answers to these questions while conducting a cross-sectional descriptive study involving first-year students from the Linkoping University. The current study aims to support or disprove such hypotheses: (1) There is an association between alcohol consumption and gender; (2) There are differences in the self-rated health status stated by females and males.

Conclusion

The tendency in associating the high levels of alcohol consumption with male students should be discussed as out-of-date. The research’s findings demonstrate that the rates of drinking among the first-year students of the Linkoping University are high, and the most active alcohol consumers are female students. In spite of the fact that the study supported the hypothesis on the association between drinking and gender differences, further research is necessary to explain why modern female students are inclined to drink a lot.

Still, female students are inclined to note the higher health status while referring to the concept of the self-rated health. Thus, the female students from the Linkoping University rated their health status in eight and higher scores more frequently than male students. That is why, more research is necessary to state what factors influence the students’ discussion of their health depending on the gender aspect. Moreover, it is necessary to explore whether differences in alcohol consumption in relation to genders can affect differences in discussing the self-rated health.

The study shows that female students have better health than male students, but it is important to examine how female and male students associate their alcohol consumption with their health status because of negative effects of alcohol on the health. The findings of this research accentuate the necessity to pay more attention to the alcohol consumption among male and female students because of controversial changes in drinking habits related to the first-year female students.

References

Demirchyan, A., Petrosyan, V., & Thompson, M. (2012). Gender differences in predictors of self-rated health in Armenia: a population-based study of an economy in transition. International Journal for Equity in Health, 11(2), 67-80.

White, A., & Hingson, R. (2014). The burden of alcohol use. Alcohol Research, 35(2), 201-218.

Rates of alcoholism in two countries compared to US

Two countries where the drinking age is 16 include Germany and Luxembourg among others (Deutsche Welle, 2012). This age limit has allowed various individuals to legally access alcohol despite the warnings. Considerably, the rates of drinking alcohol has increased in both countries with Germany and Luxembourg rated fifth and fourth heaviest drinking countries in Europe after Hungary, Czech Republic and Ireland (Deutsche Welle, 2012).

When compared to US, the drinking rates in these countries are still higher. It is notable that the drinking rates in US are increasingly considerable. This varies from one state to the next depending on the federal laws guiding the aspects of alcoholism in each state. It is important to agree that legal drinking age can contribute considerably to the societal attitude towards drinking.

Evidently, children from the concerned countries will grow knowing that alcohol is legalized and consumable. This will lead to youths indulging in drinking at younger ages. This will promote the provisions of drug abuse and addiction. The legal drinking age is influential and acts as one of the contributors to drug abuse and addiction noticed among the youths and minority groups.

Alcohol Self-Assessment Test

The questions provided in this test tend to unveil self-perceptions of addicts concerning alcoholic behaviors, the frequency at which they drink, and their experiences as drinkers (Palo Alto Medical Foundation, 2012). The test writer follows critical views of alcoholism ranging from social impacts to economic damages. Additionally, the questions reflect on societal views regarding alcoholism by trying to unearth social impacts that alcoholism fronts to the concerned drinkers.

Comparing and contrasting ‘disease model of alcoholism’ with ‘social-setting’ theory

Since alcoholism is a form of addiction, it can be graded in the ‘disease model of addiction’ in order to illuminate most of its provisions. Firstly, it demands some biological contributions, which are triggered, steered, and nurtured by the environmental factors incorporating the societal factors. In comparison, when there is alcoholism in the social setting, there are higher chances that the concerned entities will comply to the disease models of alcoholism.

Precisely, alcoholism (as an addiction factor) is promoted by the social-settings assumed by an individual. If an individual lives in a place where alcohol is promoted and embraced, there are higher chances that the concerned social-setting will trigger his/her addiction probabilities. This is promoted by the biological/genetic factors as claimed by the disease model of addiction.

Benefits and drawbacks of controlled-drinking theory

Controlled drinking has numerous benefits when considered critically. Firstly, the move can help in reducing the incidences of drug abuse and addiction. Young people will not indulge into drinking at their tender ages, a fact that promotes drug abuse and the alleged addiction (Peele & Alexander, 2012). Additionally, such restriction serves as drug abuse prevention mechanisms since people will not attempt to break the law deliberately.

Another benefit is that people will drink responsible thus reducing their indulgence into excessive drinking and alcoholism. This is quite beneficial to drunkards who can hardly control their drinking behaviors. Evidently, alcohol consumption requires stringent regulation in order to minimize irresponsible behaviors and the aspects of addiction.

The drawbacks of controlled-drinking theory range from economic factors to social provisions. When alcohol-drinking is controlled, it means that businesses dealing with alcohol will not boom. Concurrently, drinkers will not enjoy to their fullest and social aspects associated with alcohol will be compromised.

References

Deutsche Welle. (2012). The Highs and Lows of Germany’s Drinking Culture. Web.

Palo Alto Medical Foundation. (2012). Alcohol Quiz. Web.

Peele, S. & Alexander, B. (2012). The Meaning of Addiction. Web.