Many parents and others have often made assumptions about the habits and customs of adolescents, especially when it comes to such subjects as drugs, smoking and driving during adolescence. Sure, much has been written about these three subjects, and often with grim conclusions. Recent studies in these arenas suggest that reality may differ significantly from what we believed in the past.
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Alcohol mortality is a classic example. Most people think that the greatest number of adolescent deaths associated with alcohol is related to intoxication. Not this way! A recent study by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the Nationwide Insurance Company confirms that only 32% of these deaths are victims of traffic accidents. Meanwhile, 30% were homicides, 14% suicides, 9% alcohol poisoning and 15% other causes. These figures were obtained after analyzing the 2010 data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In addition, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration conducted a national survey on drug use and use in 2011. The study showed that 25% (9.7 million) people aged 12-20 years consumed alcohol in the previous month. Of those who did not buy alcohol themselves, 21.4% were provided by parents, guardians and other family members.
These data lead to another point of the real effect. Young people are influenced by peer pressure and their parents in this order. Too many parents believe that facilitating home use of a small amount of alcohol by adolescents will allow them to try it in a protected environment and, thus, will not allow a teenager to use alcohol in other places. Studies have shown that this is not true. Drinking at home simply creates the prerequisites for drinking elsewhere, especially with friends. Drinking lots can lead to a number of negative events. One of them is alcoholic "batters" contests in which teens drink an ounce or more of alcohol in continuous sips. Too often, this leads to fatal alcohol poisoning.
REDUCTION OF MOTIVATION
The second issue of concern, smoking, was always a random function in terms of who would become a regular heavy smoker and who did not continue to smoke after the first attempt. Recent studies at Duke University show that some adolescents are genetically predisposed to move from this first cigarette to heavy smoking in adolescence and at an early age. Early years seem to be a critical window for action. Once people with predisposed genes become adults, the genetic problem no longer plays a role. While medical science is looking at how to interrupt this genetic effect in adolescence, parents can talk with their teens about smoking and support anti-smoking campaigns aimed at teens.
Prescribing Drug Abuse
Prescription drug addiction is the third subject, which often involves the parental presumption that my teenager does not use drugs not assigned to him or her. Meanwhile, the use of prescription drugs by adolescents and teenagers. Some adolescents participate in “bowling parties”, where children make raids in the offices of their parents, mix up the proceeds in a large bowl, and then choose a few pills at random, not knowing what they are taking. A new study recently released by the Partnership on Drugfree.org shows that only 14% of adolescents surveyed have been discussing the abuse of prescription drugs with their parents. About 81% of this group stated that they discussed alcohol and drug use with their parents.
Even more striking is the response from the interviewed parents. Some parents did not see a real risk for their children abusing prescription drugs. Parents at the age of six felt that it was better for their children to receive prescription drugs rather than street drugs. About a third said that using drugs with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), such as Ritalin and Adderell, can improve a child’s performance, even if the child does not have ADHD!
In short, as parents and grandparents, we cannot afford to make assumptions about what teenagers do, which I spend my life every day. Instead of suggesting, sit down with your teens and talk about smoking prevention, alcohol abuse and the use of both illegal and prescription drugs. Secure your prescriptions and alcohol, and make sure your teenager takes only the prescription drugs prescribed by a doctor specifically for him or her. Finally, we must practice what we preach!
