Alcohol abuse statistics reveal that alcohol abuse among adolescents is increasing in the United States. What are some of the reasons for this? Quite a few chemical dependency consultants articulate that wine, beer, and liquor ads generated by the media are a major reason for the spread of teen alcohol abuse.
Other alcohol dependency consultants think that the increase in teen alcohol abuse is due to the acceptability and ease of access of alcohol in our society.
Still other alcohol abuse specialists assert that many of our teenagers engage in destructive drinking due to the increased stress that they undergo.
From a slightly different outlook, since both parents in quite a few families work, the lack of parental guidance without a doubt has to play a fundamental role in the expansion of youth alcohol abuse. And lastly, different substance abuse authorities state that the spread of teen alcohol abuse is due, in some degree, to our “anything goes” society.
Coping Skills and Abusive Drinking
One element of adolescent alcohol abuse that looks as if it somewhat incomplete in the alcoholism research findings, to the contrary, is the nonexistence of educational courses that teach teenagers how to improve upon their coping skills so that their destructive drinking behavior is drastically lessened or gotten rid of.
Stated more explicitly, science has revealed that there is an indirect association between poor coping skills and abusive drinking. In effect, this means that the more mediocre the coping skills, the greater the prevalence of alcohol abuse. To the extent that this is a valid contention, why isn’t coping skills education a fundamental part of the academic prospectus in all of our junior high schools, elementary schools, and high schools?
A Society That Highlights Adolescent Coping Skills
Let us construct a scenario for the purpose of explanation. Let us imagine a society in which all individuals are trained how to develop superior coping skills all the way from kindergarten up to and including their senior year in high school.
In such a society, when life gets demanding, students who are “coping skills masters” will be able to respond in a more healthy and more rewarding manner, as opposed to others who are unsuccessful in their attempts to put their coping skills into action.
Stated more precisely, students who show evidence of superior coping skills will be more able to think logically and show signs of quality decision making as opposed to students who, because they were unsuccessful in their attempts to learn top quality coping skills, are drawn to the “quick fix” of hazardous drinking.
What would happen in the above “ideal” society, in addition, if teens not only obtained top quality coping skills education but also got a first class education that outlined the long term and short term destructive consequences associated with drug abuse and alcohol abuse? Emphasizing these drug and alcohol abuse facts, along with more advanced coping skills training, it is advocated, would help adolescents keep away from the apparent charm correlated with youth drinking and, as a consequence, would radically diminish the destructive drinking behavior undertaken by teens in our country.
Teenage Excessive Drinking: Conclusion
There are clearly various sound reasons why so many of our teens drink in a harmful manner. Such a tricky subject matter demands a wide-ranging and relevant educational and preventative response by our parents, educators, politicians, and students so that our adolescents can learn how to cope with life’s predicaments in a more productive and responsible way rather than gravitating to excessive drinking behavior to solve their problems.
