TEACH YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT ALCOHOL - Dexter H Faulkner - May 1982

Dexter H Faulkner

Parents, not peers, have the biggest influence on a young person's use of alcohol. This, according to Dr. Patricia O'Gorman of the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Sadly, many parents unwittingly use this influence to promote drinking problems in their children. In contrast, others instill an attitude of moderation that stands their children in good stead when peer pressure to misuse alcohol comes along. And that pressure does come, and at younger and younger ages. Teenage and preteen drinking is on the rise-alcohol has become the "drug of choice" among the young. According to one U.S. government study, more than 60 percent of 12 year olds drink. Another study showed that about one half of American high school students go to drinking parties at least once a month. Why do young people turn to alcohol? They use it for the same reasons adults do-to relieve stressful pressures, to forget about problems, to go along with the crowd. But use of alcohol to avoid problems can have an even worse effect on the young than it does on their parents, because young people may not yet have learned other means of handling their problems. In spite of all the myths prevalent in society, alcohol does not compensate for a lack of self confidence or a lack of problem solving ability-it only makes the problems worse. - Information Supplied By: Herbert W Armstrong Library