Alcohol abuse is a serious problem in the United States. Many factors can lead to alcohol addiction and an increase in alcoholism, but underage drinking is one of the most common causes. The article below will discuss how you can prevent your teenager from abusing alcohol.
Let’s take a look at these ways of prevention.
- Inform the Children and teenagers about the dangers of alcohol
Maybe you’ve heard the phrase, “knowledge is power.” This couldn’t be truer in this case. Making kids aware of all the dangers associated with alcohol abuse will help them to make an informed decision when it comes time for them to decide if they want to drink or not. You may think that teens know everything there is to know about drinking and its consequences.
Still, most minors either don’t realize how dangerous it can be or don’t take precautions because their friends are engaging in these activities too. Show your children statistics on underage drinking – talk about what happened during prom night after everyone downed a few shots? It would also help emphasize why having illegal access isn’t worth putting themselves at risk to impress their friends.
- Make sure your teen understands that they are not invincible
We all know the overused trope of a movie where kids do something incredibly stupid and then say, “who knew this would happen?” Unfortunately, sometimes it takes a traumatic experience for people to learn life lessons, so talking about accidents is an important preventative measure you can take as well (although if there’s one thing teens aren’t fond of doing, it’s listening).
But make sure to keep things in perspective – no matter how safe you try to be or how much common sense advice you give them, teenagers will always find ways to tempt fate. Make sure they understand these risks before making decisions because, ultimately, any decision involving alcohol may be fatal.
- Teach them effective stress coping techniques
Teach your children how to be resilient. Teach them what stress is, why it happens, and the things they can do about it. Help them understand that everyone gets stressed sometimes, but not everybody reacts in an unhealthy manner when faced with their issues or problems.
You can teach kids some simple techniques which will help them relax almost instantly under any circumstances, whether they’re feeling overwhelmed by homework, facing a difficult test at school, or experiencing pressure from friends who have different life goals than theirs.
Make sure you encourage deep belly breathing instead of quick, shallow breaths, as this technique helps reduce anxiety more effectively.
- Monitor alcoholic behavior at home
Parents are often the first to notice when their teenager starts abusing alcohol. Pay close attention if they start caring less about their appearance, don’t want to go out with friends anymore, or frequently talk about drinking at school. Do not confront your child immediately but try to find ways of monitoring his behavior without letting him feel you’re watching them all the time.
The Bottom Line
Alcohol abuse is a problem that will not go away on its own. Many parents have a false impression that their child can handle alcohol responsibly, but this isn’t true for everyone. Teenagers are still developing physically and mentally, so they need to be taught the risks associated with alcohol abuse and why they must avoid drinking it.
