| As a parent you may surprised to see your teen | | | | too lenient and do not monitor or supervise on the |
| being pulled for drinking. But that is not much to be | | | | kid's activity, due to which he or she takes undue |
| surprised considering that a reputed teen treatment | | | | advantage. |
| center at Oklahoma has pointed out that teenage | | | | 2. Broken family: If the teenager comes from a |
| drinking cases are on a definite rise. So how do you | | | | broken family where people are always bickering and |
| know if your teenage child is abusing alcohol? | | | | fighting or when there are physical and emotional |
| Symptoms and signs of alcohol abuse: | | | | tirades between his parents, the teenager may |
| 1. Smell of alcohol on the body and breath: One of | | | | resort to drinking as an escape from the troubles at |
| the evident signs is the smell of alcohol on the breath | | | | home. |
| and body of your child. However, it goes without | | | | 3. Strict parental discipline: As much as leniency on |
| saying that teens today are more proficient in | | | | the part of parent is to be faulted, so is the |
| covering this up. | | | | tendency of parents to be very strict with the |
| 2. Bunking school: If your teen is bunking school and | | | | children. If you are too strict, the teenager begins to |
| is not at home, you can be sure that he or she is up | | | | feel subdued. When he gets his advantage, he |
| to something. One of them could be joining a group | | | | exploits it to the maximum, drinks a lot and then |
| of friends and drinking at his or her place. It has been | | | | finds ways and means to feed his interest. |
| seen that boys tend to drink at nights or at a time | | | | 4. Peer pressure: Teenagers succumb to peer |
| between 3 pm and 6pm well before the parents | | | | pressure easily. Though this is a general statement |
| could reach home from work. | | | | and does not apply to all, there are quite a few who |
| 3. Change in the behavior: Teenagers tends to | | | | give into drinks, smoking drugs with little coaxing and |
| behave in a brash manner, they tend to rebel and | | | | egging. |
| become verbally and physically abuse. Complaints of | | | | 5. Thrill seeking attitude: Teenagers take to drinking |
| your son getting into fights with local kids and other | | | | because they want to feel like adults as they have |
| boys from the school become frequent. | | | | seen their fathers and other adults drinking and |
| 4. Lying: When the teen lies and makes excuses, | | | | making merry. |
| there are apprehensions that some of them are | | | | 6. Family history of alcohol abuse: If a teen comes |
| related to alcohol abuse on the sly. | | | | from the family of alcohol abuse, it is possible that he |
| 5. Alcohol paraphernalia: Presence of alcohol | | | | or she may also drink easily as a way to ‘get |
| paraphernalia like bottle tops, bottles, bills from a beer | | | | back' at the people who drank heavily. |
| or liquor shop etc can definitely rouse suspicions. | | | | 7. Girls watch their mothers who drink and follow |
| 6. Stealing: This happens when the teenager is so | | | | suit: Girls tend to be influenced by their mother's |
| addicted that he would do anything to get his | | | | attitude toward drinking. If they see their moms |
| finances in place to buy a bottle or two. He may | | | | drinking, the teenage daughter also finds it ‘cool' |
| even steal things from home or a friend's place to | | | | to drink and soon the addiction develops. |
| get money. | | | | As parents, you have to closely supervise your |
| 7. Change in friends: The alcohol addict will move to | | | | teenage son and daughter's behavior. If found |
| another set of friends who entertain him and | | | | drinking, instead of being very angry and livid, be cool |
| encourage his drinking habits. | | | | and explain to them firmly but lovingly about how |
| The risk factors for a teenager to drink at such an | | | | alcohol can harm their health and reputation. If things |
| early age are due to the following factors according | | | | are out of control, it is better to take these children |
| to information given by various teenage rehab | | | | to adolescent treatment centers where due |
| programs: | | | | counseling and treatment can be given to make them |
| 1. Low parental supervision: The parents are way | | | | sober and healthier soon. |