Teenage Alcohol Abuse – The Factors Behind It

Teenage alcohol abuse is fast becoming a serious social problem in America. Studies have shown that the age at which American teenagers first try alcohol is becoming younger, making it more likely that they will develop an alcohol dependency.

On the average, girls first drink at 13 and boys at eleven; a study of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has shown that teens who begin drinking before they reach 15 are four times more likely to become alcoholics than those who start to drink at the legal age of twenty-one. A 1998 study further estimated the dollar cost of underage drinking to reach over $58 billion a year.

What are the psychological factors behind teenage alcohol abuse? An obvious one is peer pressure; drinking is essentially a social activity and teens very rarely drink alone. The influence of media images may also play a role. But a more important role may be played by the teenager’s personality profile. According to addiction experts, teenagers who have thrill-seeking or impulsive personalities are seen as being at risk for alcohol addiction. Adolescents who also reject authority figures or are in a hurry to grow up also drink excessively.

Of course, family and other problems can also be a cause of teenage alcohol abuse. Teenagers with parents who are facing relationship or financial problems often turn to alcohol to deal with, or seek escape from these dysfunctional family issues. Those who have one or more parents with alcohol dependencies are also seven times more likely to become alcoholics themselves compared to teens without alcoholic parents.

Tags: substance abuse