Alcoholism in teenager is a serious topic since the new foundation of any nation is being attacked by the deadliest of all poisons. Teenagers are the future of this world if at that tender age they get into alcohol addiction their entire future will be affected and along with them the future of the world. The reason why teenagers are so susceptible to alcohol is their hormones and added to that is peer pressure.

When you see alcoholism in teenager and begin to wonder what could have led the young chap to take to alcohol, think of all the stress these youngsters are under these days. Stress could be in the form of academic pressure, social pressure or it could just be depression due to loneliness. Study shows that a large number of teenagers in America are suffering from depression; this could be true for most parts of the world. This depression in turn leads to substance abuse and alcohol is one of those substances commonly abused.

Alcoholism in teenagers begins at social functions, when a new student tries a drink just to get high. This is considered very much in fashion and if anyone refuses he or she is bullied or nagged till they get embarrassed. This is the reason that education about abusive substances is very important at the high school or school level. Once the teenager knows the destruction that can happen because of this substance called alcohol they may be able to say no to it.

Most teen age crimes happen under the influence of alcohol; this makes alcoholism in teenagers a very serious issue. Driving under the influence of alcohol or DUI is one of the most common teenage offenses in the world. This can put a teenager behind bars, cost him or his parents a lot of money and he could loose his driving license. DUI may be serious but its not half as serious as some of the other gruesome and hideous crimes committed under the influence of alcohol. This could be anything from rape to murder, when done by a teenager it destroys many lives including his.

Alcoholism in teenager has been the subject of grave speculation since every one wants to put an end to it. Counseling by teachers and parents together can help these teenagers find the right direction. If their mistakes are met with humiliation and rejection then they take to substance abuse. Parents must therefore be supportive in anything that the child does guiding the teenage kids with a firm but loving hand.

Fashion must never showcase addiction as the in thing; this is misleading for those youngsters who live by the example of their celebs. At the same time teenagers must be made to understand the difference between fashion, style and harmful addictives by their teachers and parents. Alcoholism in teenagers has to be tackled at grass root level and everyone must contribute to this by education, laws and good parenting. Teenagers must remember that they are harming not only their bodies but also their intellect by abusing any substance.

An alcohol addict in his or her teens can be an embarrassing thing to parents as well as the society. This is not the age to drink and lay sprawled on the footpath but the age to study, work and create a successful name and identity. But still there are many teens that do exactly the opposite and are alcohol addicts, according to teen recovery centers.

 Teen alcohol addiction is something that cannot be neglected because there are way too many problems associated with this menace. Not only is the personal equation of the teen with adults and the society changed, but he or she also stands a chance to be caught by the law for creating problems in the society.  Crimes of passion including homicides, stealing and killing people under wheels due to drunken driving are some of the cases that have been registered increasingly against irresponsible teens. All of these are just an addition to complicated set of health problems that a teen can suffer from.

 Here are some ways in which a teen can become an alcohol addict:

 Going to places where alcohol flourishes: Teens generally love to party and have a good time. Today most of the eating places, joints, clubs and pubs have a free flow of alcohol for people.  Many believe that there is no party worth enjoying if there is no alcohol. There are also private parties at houses, where alcohol assumes center-stage among various events. So all of these can be breeding ground for interest in alcohol to foster.
Alcohol experimentation: Teens begin to experiment with various types of alcohol like rum, gin, vodka etc and even advice each other on how they can get a better ‘high’. All of these play on the minds of the teen and he/she begins to associate pleasurable sensations with drinking alcohol.
 Increased intake of alcohol: This is the phase where according to most adolescent rehabilitation centers, a person becomes addicted.  There is a change in the person’s group of friends. H shuns his old group and goes to another group which encourages alcohol drinking.  There are chances that the person may just mix drugs and nicotine with alcohol.
High degree of addiction: This is the phase when the individual is sold to alcohol. He or she develops a lot of health problems; there are marked signs and symptoms that are identifiable with alcohol addiction.  The teen may even face ridicule and suspension from school because he tends to creates problems in school with his grades falling steadily.  Other parents do not allow their kids to mix with such a problem child. The teen who is too caught up with urge to drink more and more may even steal money and sell off things in order to arrange for alcohol. In some cases, the parents and the family of the teen may slap him and reprimand him, and he would revolt by running away from home and drinking excessively.
 The fifth phase can be described as life-threatening when the teen begins to lose his sanity due to drinking. There are feelings of restlessness, breathlessness, depression and even suicidal tendencies that are possible due to alcohol addiction.

Make sure that you do not take teen alcohol addiction problems lightly and take your child to a teen rehab facility at the earliest.

Alcohol poisoning, according to many teen treatment centers   is the potentially fatal repercussion of drinking copious amount of liquor in a short span of time. Due to drinking excess alcohol, our body’s functions are considerably slowed down and there is a lapse in the heart-rate, breathing etc which unfortunately causes choking, breathlessness, suffocated feeling, low blood pressure and even death.  Teenagers, who are in their early to mid-teens, are vulnerable to alcohol poisoning more so compared to adults according to a reputed teen treatment center.

 The treatment process is such that the person is taken to the hospital quickly so that his or her condition can be monitored closely. Fluids and oxygen are given and a lot of proactive measures are taken to make sure that the person does not choke or suffer from breathing problems or chest pain.  There are some very effective medications that are used in treating alcoholism and alcohol poisoning which have proved to be fruitful

 Zofran(ondansetron) is one medicine that has been used  with beneficial results to treat alcoholism in people under 25 years of age who suffer from alcohol addiction.   There is another drug which is equally helpful, called Naltrexone. Doctors administer it to manage alcoholism in youngsters. What Naltrexone does is that it decreases the cravings of alcohol by putting a stop to the body’s ‘high’ response to alcohol.  You can take Naltrexone only under the close guidance of the doctor who prescribes you to take it by mouth or even gives monthly injections.

 Disulfiram  (Antabuse) is prescribed for some alcoholics; it works by reducing  the craving for the substance by producing a negative reaction to alcohol. Acamprosate(Campral) also works by reducing alcohol  cravings for those who have stopped drinking, this can be useful for those who may go into a relapse. 

 Doctors may be shy of using medical treatments for teenagers because for the adolescents, drinking is more to get that mental high. So with relapse prevention programs and counseling, doctors try to provide individual help to teenagers by charting short-term goals in a bid to make the individual stop drinking alcohol.   Some of the treatment programs that are specifically aimed at teenagers according to teen treatment centers include drug testing, 12 step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and motivational enhancement therapy.

There is also another form of treatment called ‘stimulus control’ that is used to teach the teen to stay away from conditions that are related to alcohol abuse and substitute them with activities that are productive, healthy and creative.  Then there are two other forms of controls-urge control and social control that is used in relation with changing behavioral pattern and seeking the help of family members and others to benefit from treatment.

Family interventions are actually welcome because they are helpful for teen alcohol prevention. The Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT) is quite effective as a long term residential treatment of3 to 5 months that not only addresses family issues but takes care of educational and peer pressure troubles also.  By limiting access to risk factors and by educating the teen problems against the ills of alcohol education, a huge change can be brought in his or her attitude.

Alcohol is easily the most easily influenced and abused of drugs that has destroyed the ambitions, aspirations, health and even lives of many teenagers.  According to a recent study done by a teen treatment center, 16 percent of teenagers are intoxicated heavily by alcohol in the year 2009.  Nearly 8 percent of teens have admitted to drinking more than five alcoholic drinks in a row.

 Drinking too much alcohol at any age can be harmful but indulging in it during the formative phase of adulthood, or teenage can entail a lot of repercussions.  Some of the effects of alcohol addiction among teenagers include:

 Teenage habits of drinking and driving is a common and a dangerous thing.  Lots of cases of juvenile drinking and crushing someone to death under the wheels of a car, under drunken stupor have been registered. Be it in the US, UK, China, India or any other country you can name, cases of teenagers and people  in their early 20s who have been arrested for drinking and causing accidents are quite common.  Every year almost 2000 die in road accidents and most of the people who cause these are under 21 years of age, driving their vehicles under the influence of alcohol.
 Alcohol is known to interfere with the ability of a teen to concentrate and focus on work and studies.  The younger the person starts drinking, the more is the chance of the people to develop a prolonged, stronger case of alcohol addiction.
 Alcohol addiction can drive a person to severe depression and anxiety which can also lead to suicides. The reason is excessive alcohol temporarily masks feelings of sadness and despair but once the affects of the alcohol wears off, these negative emotions are all the more stronger and life-threatening.
 Drinking in excess can lead to problems like drug addiction. It has been observed by teen treatment centers that these adolescents who take to drinking also abuse drugs like marijuana, cocaine or heroin.
Drinking has been used by boys as a way to lure girls to bed or make them sexually promiscuous. It is fact that alcohol mixes easily in the bloodstream of girls and they are prone to feel drunk, intoxicated or near sedated easily which leads to sexual crimes like rape, unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases including HIV and AIDS.
 Crimes of passion usually happen due to alcohol abuse.  One usually gets to read in news about how a person in a fit of anger thanks to alcohol killed his spouse on lover believing that the other person was having an affair.
 Some people tend to feel sleepy due to alcohol. But at the same time, they are not able to digest what they have drunk and as a result choke on their vomit in sleep, resulting in death.
 Teenagers who drink alcohol are obviously abusing their health. By the time they reach their 20 they do not have the energy like the guys who do not drink. Liver and kidney related problems start to surface in their 20s or even earlier. 

Do not let this health threatening menace grow, take advantage of teen treatment centers and make your loved one get the best treatment for alcohol addiction.