Dante was a fifteen year old high school sophomore who was exhibiting numerous alcohol-related problems at school. For that reason, the principal told him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school therapist, before he would be allowed to come back to class.

Later that afternoon when Dante went home after school, he had to explain his school suspension to his Mom and Dad. His Mother and Father were “relatively conventional” and informed Dante that getting discharged from school was not a workable educational plan of action. They told Dante that failing to graduate from high school would probably be like a lead weight around his ankles that could quite possibly impair his educational attainment for the remainder of his life. Not only this, but Dante’s parents were very let down that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his buddies in the second.

His parents explained to Dante that even though he may be young, he has to comprehend fairly swiftly that drinking is the path to failure, financial problems, ill health, and pain.

It was obvious that his parents were absolutely in concurrence with Dante’s principal and told Dante that he had better make plans to see Miss Johnson, the school psychologist. After his dialogue with his Mom and Dad, Dante at last agreed to see Miss Johnson the next school day. So Dante called the school and made an appointment to see Miss Johnson the next day during his first period class.

The Counselor Asks Dante if He Understands Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Activities Signaled Such Alarm By the School Administrators

When Dante got to his scheduled appointment with Miss Johnson, she immediately reviewed all of the alcohol-related difficulties Dante had gotten into and asked him if he comprehended why his recent alcohol-related actions caused quite a bit of anxiety by the school administrators.

Quite honestly, Dante was not sure why the principal told him he had to see a school therapist. As he expressed to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional therapist about his drinking behavior? In view of the fact that almost all of his buddies drink as much if not more than he does, basically, drinking is no big thing. Stated differently, if almost everybody is drinking, why is this such a major concern?

Miss Johnson asked Dante when he started to drink alcoholic beverages. He said that some of his older friends introduced him to drinking wine coolers when he was twelve or thirteen years old and getting ready to enter junior high school.

Miss Johnson told Dante that while his peers may indeed drink more than he does and that they may be an unhealthy influence on him, the facts are that he is the one who is getting removed from school due to alcohol-related absenteeism, fighting, and delinquency, not his peers. Moreover, Miss Johnson also stressed the fact that Dante, and not his pals, is the one who is failing and who is missing at least one day of school per week due to his alcohol related difficulties. Finally, Miss Johnson stressed the fact that due to his drinking behavior, Dante is getting into a destructive cycle of alcohol abuse that can in the long run wreck his dreams, hopes, and aspirations.

In a word, Dante’s involvement with teenage alcohol abuse was beginning to short-circuit his ability to act like an accountable young man. As stated by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your buddies drink wine coolers, hard liquor, wine, or beer does not mean that it is the right thing to do for you.”

Dante Learns That Eventually He Must Claim Responsibility For Himself In Order to Keep Away From Destructive, Unhealthy, Dangerous, and Damaging Circumstances In the Future

Miss Johnson informed Dante that one’s friends can certainly influence an individual in a negative way, but that the individual himself or herself has to in due course be accountable for himself or herself in order to steer clear of destructive, damaging, dangerous, and unhealthy consequences in the future.

Fortunately, Miss Johnson was very organized for her scheduled meeting with Dante. She showed him reports and research studies she had underlined that outlined various drinking facts and statistics that targeted most people in general. Then she showed Dante quite a bit of figures and reports that applied chiefly to teens.

For example, Miss Johnson explained the difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency and informed Dante that individuals who continue to drink in a hazardous manner frequently become alcohol dependent.

Miss Johnson also went over the concept of binge drinking that she defined as follows: drinking five or more drinks in one sitting for males and consuming four or more drinks in one sitting for females.

The Counselor Lists A Number Alcohol Addiction and Alcohol Abuse Facts and Statistics

Then Miss Johnson verbalized various alcohol facts and the following eight alcohol abuse statistics:

1. The 25.9% of adolescent drinkers in the U.S. who are alcohol abusers and alcohol dependent drink 47.3% of the alcohol that is ingested by all teenage drinkers.

2. Fifty percent of U.S. homicides are related to alcohol.

3. In 2002, U.S. alcoholism statistics and facts demonstrated that 2.6 million binge drinkers were between the ages of 12 and 17.

4. It is projected that more than 3 million adolescents in the U.S. between the ages of 14 to 17 are problem drinkers.

5. In the U.S., more than forty percent of those who start drinking at the age 14 or younger become addicted to alcohol.

6. Very few of the more than 18 million U.S. alcohol abusers receive the alcohol treatment they require.

7. Adolescent drinking costs Americans nearly $53 billion per year. If this cost were shared equally by each congressional district, the amount would total more than $120 million per district.

8. Alcohol-related difficulties are unevenly found among both juvenile and adult criminal offenders.

Dante Gets A Meaningful Jolt of Reality About the Long Term and the Short Term Consequences of Teenage Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

After Miss Johnson presented the aforementioned alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse facts and statistics, it was apparent that what Miss Johnson made known to Dante was a real jolt to him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only took the time to articulate the short term and the long term outcomes of alcoholism and alcohol abuse, but she also made the effort to demonstrate what she was saying with alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency statistics and facts that related to everyone, and principally to young people.

Without a doubt, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante at once realized why he should not be engaging in hazardous and abusive drinking with or without his classmates any longer. Dante thanked Miss Johnson for her concern and for the information she discussed.

Miss Johnson then asked Dante how he felt about getting a physical exam and an alcohol appraisal for the alcohol treatment he would probably need. Dante thought about this for a minute and then agreed to get a complete physical and to go through an extensive evaluation of his drinking behavior so that he could start an alcohol treatment program promptly. After meeting with Miss Johnson, not only did he think that he had established an enhanced relationship with her, but it was also apparent that Dante’s self esteem and personal happiness had been boosted as he began to address his excessive and abusive drinking.

Merissa and Augie have been dating one another for six years. They met while taking the same American studies class at a relatively large, countryside, liberal arts college located in the Southern part of the U.S. While they were in actual fact good friends at first, they finally started to date when they were in their second year of college.

Since both of them came from very old-fashioned backgrounds, neither one of them drank very much beyond the casual drinking stage when they first started to date. As the time progressed, then again, they began to go to more football bashes, sorority and fraternity parties, happy hours, and keg parties. As a consequence, they little by little began to drink more the longer they saw one another in a dating capacity.

Their Social Life Usually Consisted of Going to Professional Sporting Events, Going to Restaurants Three or Four Nights Per Week, Going to Parties With Their Friends, Going to Happy Hour With Their Friends, and Going With Their Friends to the Local Tavern on the Weekends

After they graduated, they both got jobs in a large city that was approximately fifty miles from their undergraduate college. Then they eventually decided to move into the same apartment with one another.

Due to the fact they were far removed from the college drinking scene, then again, their social life as a rule consisted of going to professional sporting events, going to happy hour with their friends, going to restaurants three or four nights per week, going to parties with their friends, and going to the local nightclub with their buddies on the weekends. Simply put, Augie and Merissa began drinking in an abusive and hazardous manner.

Now that they were living in the same apartment together and beginning to get more earnest about their relationship, however, they started to think about becoming more responsible, getting married, buying a house, and having children.

With any substantial adjustment in an individual’s life there is normally something that initiates the particular change in question. For Augie and Merissa the thought of buying a new house and having children was this “change agent.” Stated another way, for the first time in their lives, Augie and Merissa started to critically appraise their abusive and irresponsible drinking and the long term alcohol effects on their lives.

How Would Their Hazardous and Heavy Drinking Affect Their Finances, Their Mental Health, Their Relationship With Their Parents, Their Ability to Have Children, and Their Relationship With One Another?

Would their heavy and irresponsible drinking unfavorably affect their ability to have children? How would they be able to continue spending a large percentage of their money on drinking if they were to start saving for a new house? How responsible would they be if they had children and continued to drink in an irresponsible and abusive manner? How would they be able to face their parents and tell them about their long term dreams, plans, and hopes while they still drank in an abusive and irresponsible manner while having fun as they did when they were in college? What would their excessive and heavy drinking do to their relationship? How would their heavy drinking affect their mental health?

From a different viewpoint, although neither one of them ever suffered from alcohol poisoning, received a DUI, or experienced alcohol withdrawal symptoms, they realized that their abusive and heavy drinking was becoming a reality that they could not close their eyes to anymore.

After Giving Their Circumstances Much Thought, Augie and Merissa Finally Understood That Their Aspirations, Hopes, and Dreams Would not be Attained if They Continued Their Heavy and Irresponsible Drinking

All of these queries undoubtedly led to the same conclusion: Merissa and Augie needed to realize more fully that they couldn’t continue their hazardous and abusive drinking if their plans, dreams, and hopes were to be met.

Once they came to this conclusion, they told their drinking friends about their goal of buying or building a new house, about their plans to start a family, and about their marital plans. They also told their drinking pals that they still wanted to hang around with them but that they would be drinking responsibly from this point forward so that they could start to realize their future aspirations, dreams, and goals.

Surprisingly, all of their friends expressed relief because they too had been reflecting on their lives and concluded that their life-styles were much too often centered around drinking. They also realized that they would have to change drastically if they were to become more accountable and manifest more forethought for their plans, their careers, and for their health in the next twenty or twenty-five years.

After their heart-to-heart discussion with their pals about their dreams, hopes, and plans, Merissa and Augie actually started to have more meaningful relationships with all of their friends. The main reason for this was the fact that all of them had a similar attitude regarding their heavy and excessive drinking and their relatively short and long-term aspirations, goals, and plans.

Larry was a seventeen year old high school junior who was manifesting several alcohol-related problems at school. For that reason, the principal informed him that he had to see Miss Johns, the school counselor, before he would be permitted to return to class.

Later that afternoon when Larry went home after school, he had to go over his school suspension with his parents. His parents were “fairly conventional” and informed Larry that dropping out of school was not a doable educational plan of action. They explained to Larry that failing to graduate from high school would more likely than not be like a lead weight around his legs that may hurt his educational attainment for the rest of his adult life. Furthermore, Larry’s Mom and Dad were quite displeased that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his pals in the second.

His parents explained to Larry that even though he may be young, he needs to comprehend fairly rapidly that drinking is the route to failure, pain, financial problems, and ill health.

It was plain to see that his Mom and Dad were absolutely in concurrence with Larry’s principal and explained to Larry that he had to see Miss Johns, the school psychologist. After his talk with his Mom and Dad, Larry at long last agreed to see Miss Johns the next school day. So Larry phoned the school and made an appointment to see Miss Johns the next morning before school.

The Therapist Asks Larry if He Understands Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Activities Caused Quite a Bit of Apprehension By the School Administrators

When Larry went to see Miss Johns, she instantly analyzed all of the alcohol-related problems Larry had gotten into and asked him if he knew why his recent alcohol-related activities were such a cause for concern.

Quite honestly, Larry was unsure why the principal informed him that he had to see a school counselor. As he stated to Miss Johns, why should he see a professional counselor about his drinking circumstances? In view of the fact that virtually all of his peers drink the same amount that he does, in essence, drinking shouldn’t be such a big issue. Stated another way, if almost everybody is drinking, why is this such a major concern?

Miss Johns asked Larry when he started to drink alcoholic beverages. He said that some of his older pals introduced him to drinking hard liquor when he was twelve or thirteen years old and in the seventh grade.

Miss Johns told Larry that while his classmates may in fact drink more than he does and that they may be a negative influence on him, the facts are that he is the one who is getting discharged from school due to alcohol-related absenteeism, fighting, and delinquency, not his friends. What is more, Miss Johns also underlined the fact that Larry, and not his peers, is the one who is failing and who is missing almost two days of class per week because of his alcohol related problems. Finally, Miss Johns stressed the fact that due to his drinking circumstances, Larry is getting into a negative cycle of alcohol abuse that can finally wreck his hopes, dreams and aspirations.

In a word, Larry’s involvement with adolescent alcohol abuse was beginning to impede his ability to conduct himself like a responsible young man. As stated by Miss Johns, “Just because most of your friends drink wine coolers, wine, hard liquor, or beer does not mean that it is the best thing in the world for you.”

Larry Learns That Ultimately He Must Take Responsibility For Himself In Order to Steer Clear of Dangerous, Destructive, Damaging, and Unhealthy Consequences Down the Road

Miss Johns explained to Larry that one’s friends can undeniably influence an individual in a negative way, but that the person herself or himself has to in due course take responsibility for herself or himself in order to stay away from unhealthy, dangerous, damaging, and destructive consequences in the foreseeable future.

Fortunately, Miss Johns was extremely well equipped for her scheduled meeting with Larry. She showed him research studies and reports she had underlined that listed different drinking facts and statistics that targeted most people in general. Then she showed Larry quite a bit of data that applied especially to teens.

For instance, Miss Johns emphasized the difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction and explained to Larry that individuals who continue to drink in a hazardous manner continually become alcoholic.

Miss Johns also discussed the concept of binge drinking that she defined as follows: ingesting four or more drinks in one sitting for females and drinking four or more drinks in one sitting for females.

The Therapist Presents Several Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependency Facts and Statistics

Then Miss Johns presented the following eight alcoholism facts and alcohol abuse statistics:

1. Alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse cost the U.S. an estimated $220 billion in 2005. This dollar amount was more than the cost associated with cancer ($196 billion) or with obesity ($133 billion.

2. More than one-half of U.S. adults have a close relative or family member that has or has had alcoholism.

3. More than 75% of female victims of nonfatal, domestic violence stated that their assailant had been using drugs or drinking.

4. In the U.S. on an annual basis, more than one third of pedestrians killed by cars were legally intoxicated.

5. One national research study discovered that students are less likely to drink alcohol if they are socially accepted by individuals at school and believe that teachers treat students in a fair manner.

6. Research indicates that youth who use alcohol may remember 10 percent less of what they have learned than teens who don’t drink.

7. Around ten to twenty percent of the individuals who drink heavily ultimately develop cirrhosis of the liver (i.e., a scarring of the liver that can be fatal).

8. Up to forty percent of the U.S. industrial fatalities and 47 percent of industrial injuries are related to alcohol abuse or alcoholism.

Larry Receives An Important Wake Up Call About the Short Term and the Long Term Consequences of Youth Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependency

After Miss Johns listed the aforementioned alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse facts and statistics, it was plain to see that what Miss Johns revealed to Larry was a real jolt to him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only took the time to explain the short term and the long term consequences of alcoholism and alcohol abuse, but she also made the effort to substantiate what she was saying with alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse statistics and facts that related to everyone, and especially to teenagers.

Without a doubt, it was almost as if a light went on and Larry at once comprehended why he should not be engaging in hazardous and abusive drinking with or without his peers any longer. Larry thanked Miss Johns for her concern and for the material she presented.

Miss Johns then asked Larry how he felt about getting a physical exam and an alcohol assessment for the alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency treatment he would probably need.

Larry thought about this for a minute and then agreed to get an extensive physical examination and to go through a thorough assessment of his drinking circumstances so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcoholism treatment program immediately.