Teen parents often think that teens don’t listen when it comes to underage drinking, but the reality is that teens hear you, parents, more than you think. So, even if you think your teen isn’t tuned in, it’s important to speak up anyway because there are negative life-long consequences related to underage drinking. As parents, you play a lead role in preventing underage drinking drama for your children.
How Alcohol Affects Teens Behaviorally
Potential Social Consequences of Underage Alcohol Use
In late 2015, a popular football player in a small Alabama community made the news. Though friends described him as a genuinely nice person, headlines portrayed him as a villain because he, after drinking heavily, raped a questionably conscious 16 year-old who was also drinking. The attack took place at a home during a party…a party was supervised by the boy’s grandmother.
Regardless of the outcome of the resulting trial, both parties were forever changed by an incident that without the influence of alcohol would likely have never taken place.
Parents, either of these children could be your teen.
Sometimes, parents and guardians see teenage drinking as a natural part of social development. They say, “Teens will drink no matter what I say, so I would rather them do it at my house where I know they are safe.” By adopting this attitude, you send the message that you trust your teen to drink responsibly and you’re okay with unlawful, underage drinking. What your teen hears is that they are allowed to drink.
Studies show that teens who drink for the first time before they are 15 are five times more likely to become alcoholics or alcohol abusers than those young people who wait until they are adults to drink.
How Alcohol Affects the Teenage Brain
In fact, brain development does not actually reach maturation until one is in his or her 20s or even early 30s. What’s more, teens who drink are more likely to engage in binge drinking, which is when a person consumes four to five alcoholic beverages (or more) in a two-hour period. According to the 2014 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey, high school students in Walton County reported a higher rate of binge drinking (16.1%) over the statewide average (13.7%). Consumption rates in general were also higher (a respective 32.6% versus 28.4%).
Lifelong Health Consequences of Teenage Drinking
A commonly cited study conducted by University of California, San Diego neuroscientist Susan Tapert reveals a direct correlation with teenage alcohol use and abuse and brain damage. Tapert used MRIs to examine the brains of binge and non-binge-drinking teens. The MRIs showed that white brain matter, which is crucial for relaying information quickly, was not formed as well in binge-drinking teens and that among these teens:
· Girls had difficulties performing spatial reasoning tasks such as copying a difficult puzzle.
· Boys had difficulties performing tasks requiring attention, tasks that were boring but essential.
Additionally, more recent studies reveal alcohol-related damage to teen’s grey matter also has long-term (and in some instances, permanent) impairment of the following functions:
· Memory
· Learning
· Attention
· Concentration
· Decision-making
These are essential for executive functioning or behavior and self-control. Individuals with brain damage that controls these skills are less likely to decline a drink and are more likely to engage in dangerous behaviors like drunk driving.
Given that 19.6% of Walton County high school students reported riding in a car with someone who had been drinking within 30-days of the 2014 survey, it is crucial for parents to get involved.
Parents’ Roles in Underage Drinking
Interestingly, the majority (80.7%) said they usually got alcohol at home or at another person’s home. Second to this mode of access, 69.1% of teens reported alcohol was given to or purchased for them by another person.
Thus, it’s reasonable to conclude that you, parents, play an imperative role in your teen’s drinking habits; you have the power to make a difference by:
· Taking a firm no-nonsense stance on drinking; it can be hard to be an uncool or un-fun parent, but the benefits for your teen’s health far outweigh being a popular parent among minors.
· Never providing alcohol to your teen or to anyone else’s teen; it’s illegal.
· Talking to your teen about the dangers of drinking and of binge drinking. Be honest with them about the consequences and the lifelong effects.
· Finding out who your teen spends time with. Teens are often influenced to drink by their peers, which means that if your teen hangs out with kids who drink, it is more likely he or she will also be tempted to drink.
Having a strong family dynamic with clear communication is vital in helping teens avoid succumbing to peer pressure or to other pressures that lead to underage drinking. Tell teens the truth about what can happen to them. Lastly, have a firm no-tolerance policy on drinking because it’s a slippery slope; one drink can lead to a secret binge habit that could haunt your teen for the rest of his or her life.
Know that even though “Mom is so cool” said no teen ever, your teens listen to you. You are their moral compass. Underage drinking is wrong and dangerous, so avoid drama…set your teen on the right trajectory for his or her future by providing guidance.
Get support and resources from the Walton County Prevention Coalition. The WCPC’s goal is to support parents in preventing substance abuse among local youth by developing an anti-drug coalition. WCPC aims to educate parents and minors on the dangers of underage drinking. Visit the WCPC website to learn more about your role in preventing teen alcoholism.