Dante was a eighteen year old high school senior who was manifesting several alcohol-related problems at school. As a result, the principal told him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school psychologist, before he would be permitted to return to school.
Later that day when Dante went home after school, he had to explain his school suspension to his Mother and Father. His Mom and Dad were “relatively conventional” and explained to Dante that getting discharged from school was not a doable educational plan of action. They told Dante that failing to graduate from high school would most probably be like a lead weight around his feet that could conceivably hinder his educational aspirations for the remainder of his adult life. What is more, Dante’s Mom and Dad were extremely saddened that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his pals in the second.
His parents informed Dante that even though he may be a teen, he needs to comprehend rather quickly that drinking is the path to ill health, failure, pain, and financial problems.
It was obvious that his Mother and Father were out and out in full concurrence with Dante’s principal and told Dante that he had better make plans to see Miss Johnson, the school counselor. After his chat with his Mom and Dad, Dante at long last agreed to see Miss Johnson the next day. So Dante phoned the school and scheduled an appointment to see Miss Johnson the next morning.
The Counselor Asks Dante if He Knows Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Activities Gave the School Administrators Room For Alarm
When Dante went to see Miss Johnson, she at once analyzed all of the alcohol-related issues Dante had experienced and asked him if he understood why his recent alcohol-related behavior gave the school administrators room for alarm.
Quite sincerely, Dante was not sure why the principal informed him that he had to see a school psychologist. As he stated to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional counselor about his drinking situation? Due to the fact that just about all of his friends drink as much if not more than he does, essentially, drinking shouldn’t be such a big deal. Stated more forcefully, if nearly everybody is drinking, why is this such a major issue?
Miss Johnson asked Dante when he started to drink alcoholic beverages. He said that some of his older buddies introduced him to drinking beer when he was twelve or thirteen years old and getting ready to enter junior high school.
Miss Johnson explained to Dante that while his peers may in fact drink more than he does and that they may be a bad influence on him, the facts are that he is the one who is getting thrown out of school due to alcohol-related delinquency, absenteeism, and fighting, not his friends. Not only this but Miss Johnson also highlighted the fact that Dante, and not his peers, is the one who is failing and who is missing at least two days of class per week due to his alcohol related issues. Finally, Miss Johnson underscored the fact that because of his drinking situation, Dante is getting into a damaging cycle of abusive drinking that can in due course destroy his life.
In short, Dante’s involvement with teenage alcohol abuse was starting to impede his ability to function as a responsible young man. As put into words by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your classmates drink wine, beer, hard liquor, or wine coolers does not mean that it is right for you.”
Dante Learns That In Due Course He Must Be Accountable For Himself In Order to Avert Destructive, Dangerous, Damaging, and Unhealthy Outcomes In the Future
Miss Johnson told Dante that one’s peers can undeniably influence a person in a negative manner, but that the individual himself or herself has to in the end be responsible for herself or himself in order to steer clear of destructive, unhealthy, damaging, and dangerous outcomes in the future.
Luckily, Miss Johnson was very organized for her conference with Dante. She showed him research studies and reports she had underlined that summarized diverse drinking statistics and facts that targeted most people in general. Then she showed Dante a lot of figures and reports that applied mainly to adolescents.
For example, Miss Johnson underscored the difference between alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse and informed Dante that individuals who continue to drink abusively frequently become alcohol dependent.
Miss Johnson also explained the concept of binge drinking which she defined as follows: drinking four or more drinks in one sitting for females and ingesting five or more drinks in one sitting for males.
The Counselor Conveys Quite a Few Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependency Statistics and Facts
Then Miss Johnson conveyed various alcohol facts and the following eight alcohol abuse statistics:
1. Alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse cost the U.S. an estimated $220 billion in 2005. This dollar amount was more than the cost linked to obesity ($133 billion) or with cancer ($196 billion).
2. More than one-half of U.S. adults have a close relative or family member that has or has had alcohol addiction.
3. More than three fourths of female victims of nonfatal, domestic violence reported that their assailant had been drinking or using drugs.
4. In the United States on a yearly basis, more than 33% of pedestrians killed by autos were legally drunk.
5. One national study uncovered the fact that students are less likely to drink alcohol if they are socially accepted by people at school and feel that teachers treat students in a fair manner.
6. Research demonstrates that young people who drink alcohol may remember ten percent less of what they have learned than teenagers who don’t drink.
7. About ten to twenty percent of the people who drink in an abusive manner in the long run develop cirrhosis of the liver (i.e., a scarring of the liver that can be fatal).
8. Up to 40% of the U.S. industrial deaths and 47% of industrial injuries are correlated with alcohol abuse or alcoholism.
Dante Receives A Much Needed Wake Up Call Concerning the Long Term and the Short Term Consequences of Underage Alcohol Addiction and Alcohol Abuse
After Miss Johnson presented the aforementioned alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction facts and statistics, it was clear that what Miss Johnson taught Dante was a real shock to him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only took the time to put in plain words the long term and the short term results of alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction, but she also made the effort to demonstrate what she was saying with alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency statistics and facts that related to everyone in general, and particularly to adolescents.
Indeed, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante instantly realized why he should not be engaging in hazardous and abusive drinking with or without his peers any longer. Dante thanked Miss Johnson for her concern and for the material she presented.
Miss Johnson then asked Dante how he felt about getting a physical examination and an alcohol evaluation for the alcohol abuse or alcoholism treatment he would probably need.
Dante thought about this for few minutes and then agreed to get a thorough physical and to go through a thorough appraisal of his drinking situation so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency rehab program right away.
Tags: alcohol abuse, alcohol abuse statistics, alcohol statistics, alcohol treatment, alcoholism, alcoholism facts, alcoholism statistics, long term effects of alcohol, short term effects of alcohol, teen alcohol abuse, teen alcohol abuse statistics, teenage alcohol abuse
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