Today, an issue of concern the world over is the consumption of alcohol by teenagers. Teenagers, while physically maturing, often lack the mental maturity and life experience of adults, making them susceptible to adult vices like alcoholism without understanding the associated risks. Alcoholism is a chronic and progressive disease that includes difficulty in controlling drinking, being preoccupied with alcohol, and finding difficulty in giving it up despite the problems it causes. Teenagers start drinking alcohol for a variety of reasons. If one or both parents drink regularly, the children are also bound to start drinking. While growing up, they can become addicts. Peer pressure is the most compelling factor regarding alcoholism in teenagers. They want to show off to their friends that they are bold enough to drink. The boys, particularly, want to brag to their friends and also to the girls around that they are “real men”. ALSO READ: The teenage drinking menace: Who is to blame? Like adults, some teenagers start drinking alcohol to de-stress and forget personal problems. For whatever reason a youngster takes alcohol, gradually, they become habituated to it. They become alcoholics, i.e. even if they desire to, they find it difficult to quit. Moreover, a youngster is usually not able to handle their drink well and tends to drink more in quantity. Binge drinking is common among teenagers. Thus, they are exposed more to the ill effects. Statistics show that alcohol is the most abused substance among adolescents and teenagers. Though the sale of alcohol is illegal for teenagers in most countries, they still manage to procure it somehow. An otherwise disciplined teenager can turn into a juvenile delinquent to fulfil the craving for alcohol. Health-related problems due to alcohol develop in teenagers, making them sick. Vomiting and burning pain in the chest and upper abdomen are the most common and earliest problems to develop because of the direct irritant effect of alcohol on the stomach. In the case of youngsters habituated to alcohol, even missing the drink for one or two days makes them sick, compelling them to drink more. ALSO READ: Potential barriers to implementing youth alcohol regulation Parents and elders should be vigilant about the signs of alcoholism in their areas. Change of personality and behaviour in an adolescent should raise the suspicion of alcohol abuse, e.g., a teenager suddenly becoming an introvert or extrovert and party-loving. Other tell-tale signs of alcoholism are loss of interest in surroundings, games, and other activities, poor performance in studies, lack of concentration, lack of socialising, loss of appetite, and weight. A growing child needs to be enlightened on the ill effects of alcohol. If parents have been drinking, they should try to give up alcohol to serve as an example for their children. It is also important to keep an eye on the company a child keeps, because, at this age, children are more influenced by friends than family members. Though difficult at high school and university levels as many teenagers stay away from homes, parents should spend some time to get information about friends their teenager has, their backgrounds, and activities. This should be done in a friendly way. Teenagers should not feel that they are being spied on. Auditing the money spent by a teenager is also useful to know if they are spending on toxic substances like alcohol. Adolescents and teenagers should be very busy physically and mentally at home and school. This helps to keep them away from falling prey to addictions. If some youth has become an alcoholic, they need very patient handling. If reprimanded, they may turn more to the bottle. The help of professional counsellors and medical experts should be taken to help get rid of this harmful habit. Adolescence is the time for the development of a future career and a good life, and it should not be wasted on alcohol. The writer is a specialist in internal medicine.
