Alcohol abuse statistics show that alcohol abuse among teens is increasing in the United States. What are some of the reasons for this? More than a few chemical dependency specialists think that wine, beer, and liquor advertisements created by the media are a key reason for the spread of teen alcohol abuse.
Other chemical dependency experts emphasize the point that the increase in youth alcohol abuse is due to the acceptability and convenience of wine,liquor, and beer in our society.
Still other alcohol abuse consultants argue that numerous teenagers involve themselves in excessive drinking because of the increased stress that they are subjected to.
From a slightly different vantage point, since both parents in many families work, the lack of parental guidance surely has to play a major part in the spread of youth alcohol abuse. And as a final point, a variety of alcohol addiction authorities believe that the proliferation of adolescent alcohol abuse is due, in some way, to our lenient society.
Alcohol Abuse and Coping Skills
One aspect of teen alcohol abuse that seems to be poorly reported in the alcoholism research findings, to the contrary, is the scarcity of educational programs that teach teens how to upgrade their coping skills so that their abusive drinking behavior is fundamentally lessened or eradicated.
More to the point, science has illustrated the fact that there is an indirect link between poor coping skills and abusive drinking. For all intents and purposes, this means that the poorer the coping skills, the higher the prevalence of alcohol abuse. To the degree that this is a truthful declaration, why isn’t coping skills training an important part of the academic core curriculum in all of our junior high schools, elementary schools, and high schools?
A Society That Puts Emphasis On Youth Coping Skills
Let us construct a scenario for the purpose of explanation. Let us imagine a society in which students are trained how to develop high-quality coping skills all the way from kindergarten up to and including their senior year in high school.
In such a society, when life gets difficult, individuals who are “coping skills masters” will be able to respond in a healthier and more successful way, as opposed to others who are unsuccessful in their attempts to put their coping skills into action.
More to the point, students who show evidence of outstanding coping skills will be more able to think clearly and show signs of first-class decision making as opposed to students who, because they lack quality coping skills, gravitate to the “quick fix” of abusive drinking.
What would happen in the above “ideal” society, additionally, if teenagers not only obtained extraordinary coping skills training but also received a first-rate education that accentuated the short term and long term unhealthy consequences associated with drug abuse and alcohol abuse? Emphasizing these drug and alcohol abuse facts, along with more highly developed coping skills instruction, it is advocated, would help teenagers stay away from the noticeable allure of youth drinking and, accordingly, would drastically reduce the excessive drinking behavior undertaken by teenagers in our country.
Youth Risky Drinking: Conclusion
There are obviously a number of legitimate reasons why so many of our teens drink in an abusive manner. Such a complex predicament demands a far-reaching and relevant educational and preventative response by our educators, politicians, parents, and students so that our teens can learn how to cope with life’s problems in a more fruitful and accountable way instead of resorting to excessive drinking behavior to solve their difficulties.