Is teen alcohol use ever permissible?
Should you let your teenager drink alcohol? There are many situations where concessions for under-age drinking are made by parents or other adults in our society. Many buy into some of the common myths for justification:
Myth #1: Europeans let their kids drink at an early age, yet they do not have the alcohol-related problems we do.
Myth #2: The law only makes youth want to drink because it is the “forbidden fruit”.
Myth #3: Lowering the drinking age will encourage young people to be responsible consumers rather than drink at uncontrolled, private parties.
Myth #4: Drinking is just a phase all kids go through; they’ll grow out of it.
Find more teenager drinking myths at www.madd.org.
Alcohol has a Long-Term Affect on Underdeveloped Brains
Physiologically, the teen’s brain is underdeveloped until over twenty years of age. Peter Delaney from SAMHSA’s Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality states, “When kids under age 15 start drinking and drinking heavily, they are about six times more likely to end up with alcohol problems.”
Research suggests that alcohol can do long-term harm to developing brains. In the late teens and early 20s, the brain is developing its adult shape, pruning away unused connections and forming.
The research and the studies should be able to answer this question adequately as it relates to alcohol ever being appropriate for teenagers. Furthermore, adults should always remember that a lot more is caught than taught. Ever since your children have been small they have been watching and absorbing information from their parents and other adults around them. The tendency is that they will want to be like you.
Do you fear your teen may have a drinking problem? If so, our staff at Crosswinds has lots of experience as substance abuse counselors for both families and teens.
Is teen alcohol use ever permissible?
By: Richard Troyer, Director Critical & Responsible Thinking (CRT) Program
Should you let your teenager drink alcohol? There are many situations where concessions for under-age drinking are made by parents or other adults in our society. Many buy into some of the common myths for justification:
Myth #1: Europeans let their kids drink at an early age, yet they do not have the alcohol-related problems we do.
Myth #2: The law only makes youth want to drink because it is the “forbidden fruit”.
Myth #3: Lowering the drinking age will encourage young people to be responsible consumers rather than drink at uncontrolled, private parties.
Myth #4: Drinking is just a phase all kids go through; they’ll grow out of it.
Find more teenager drinking myths at www.madd.org.
Alcohol has a Long-Term Effect on Underdeveloped Brains
Physiologically, the teen’s brain is underdeveloped until over twenty years of age. Peter Delaney from SAMHSA’s Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality states, “When kids under age 15 start drinking and drinking heavily, they are about six times more likely to end up with alcohol problems.”
Research suggests that alcohol can do long-term harm to developing brains. In the late teens and early 20s, the brain is developing its adult shape, pruning away unused connections and forming.
The research and the studies should be able to answer this question adequately as it relates to alcohol ever being appropriate for teenagers. Furthermore, adults should always remember that a lot more is caught than taught. Ever since your children have been small they have been watching and absorbing information from their parents and other adults around them. The tendency is that they will want to be like you.
Do you fear your teen may have a drinking problem? If so, our staff at Crosswinds has lots of experience as substance abuse counselors for both families and teens.