Dante was a eighteen year old high school senior who was manifesting several alcohol-related problems at school. For that reason, the principal informed him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school psychologist, before he would be permitted to come back to school.
Later that afternoon when Dante went home after school, he had to go over his school expulsion with his Mom and Dad. His Mother and Father were “fairly conservative” and informed Dante that getting removed from school was not a practical educational option. They told Dante that failing to graduate from high school would probably be like a lead weight around his legs that might impede his educational achievement for the rest of his adult life. What is more, Dante’s Mother and Father were quite disappointed that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his peers in the second.
His parents explained to Dante that even though he may be a teenager, he needs to comprehend fairly swiftly that drinking is the path to failure, ill health, financial problems, and pain.
It was clear that his Mother and Father were out-and-out in full agreement with Dante’s principal and told Dante that he needs to see Miss Johnson, the school therapist. After his discussion with his Mother and Father, Dante in due course agreed to see Miss Johnson the next school day. So Dante phoned the school and made an appointment to see Miss Johnson the next day during his second period class.
The Counselor Asks Dante if He Comprehends Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Behavior gave the School Administrators Room For Alarm
When Dante got to his scheduled appointment with Miss Johnson, she immediately went over all of the alcohol-related issues Dante had gotten into and asked him if he knew why his recent alcohol-related actions were such a cause for concern.
Quite honestly, Dante was not sure why the principal informed him that he had to see a school counselor. As he stated to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional psychologist about his drinking situation? Due to the fact that just about all of his pals drink as much if not more than he does, basically, drinking shouldn’t be such a big thing. Stated more explicitly, if nearly everybody is drinking, why is this such a big thing?
Miss Johnson asked Dante when he started to drink. He said that some of his older buddies introduced him to drinking wine when he was twelve or thirteen years old and between the sixth and seventh grades.
Miss Johnson told Dante that while his pals may indeed drink more than he does and that they may be an unhealthy influence on him, the facts are that he is the one who is getting discharged from school due to alcohol-related delinquency, absenteeism, and fighting, not his peers. Not only this but Miss Johnson also underlined the fact that Dante, and not his classmates, is the one who is failing and who is missing almost two days of school per week due to his alcohol related problems. Finally, Miss Johnson underlined the fact that because of his drinking circumstances, Dante is getting into a negative cycle of alcohol abuse that can in time ruin his hopes, dreams and aspirations.
In a word, Dante’s involvement with teenage alcohol abuse was starting to foil his ability to function as a responsible young man. As verbalized by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your peers drink beer, wine, hard liquor, or wine coolers does not mean that it is the appropriate behavior for you.”
Dante Learns That Sooner or Later He Must Be Responsible For Himself In Order to Avert Unhealthy, Damaging, Dangerous, and Destructive Consequences In the Future
Miss Johnson explained to Dante that other people can without a doubt influence a person in an unhealthy manner, but that the person herself or himself has to finally be accountable for herself or himself in order to avert damaging, unhealthy, destructive, and dangerous situations down the road.
Fortunately, Miss Johnson was extremely well prepared for her appointment with Dante. She showed him reports and research studies she had underlined that summarized different drinking facts and statistics that applied to most people in general. Then she showed Dante a lot of information that applied mainly to teens.
For example, Miss Johnson highlighted the difference between alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse and told Dante that individuals who continue to drink in an abusive manner habitually become dependent on alcohol.
Miss Johnson also discussed 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 States More Than a Few Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependency Statistics and Facts
Then Miss Johnson stated various alcohol facts and the following eight alcohol abuse statistics:
1. As shown in one study, almost 11% of 8th-graders, 22% of 10th-graders, and 27% of 12th-graders articulated that they involved themselves in hazardous drinking.
2. Between 48% and 64% of the people who perish in fires have blood alcohol levels demonstrating drunkenness.
3. Pre-teens who are drinking alcohol by 7th grade are more probable to report substance abuse, delinquent behavior, and academic problems in both middle school and high school.
4. In the U.S., more than 50% of all homicides and incidents of domestic violence are alcohol-related.
5. In the United States among drivers between the ages of 15 and 20, fatal crashes involving a single vehicle at night are three times more likely to be alcohol-related than to other deadly crashes.
6. In the U.S., more than 40 percent of the people who begin drinking before the age of 13 will develop alcohol dependency or alcohol abuse at some time in their lives.
7. In the United States, by the time they are high school seniors, 80% of teens have drank alcohol and 62% have been inebriated.
8. Treatment for alcohol addiction has been shown to reduce criminal activity up to 80% among long-term offenders, has increased their rate of employment, decreased their homelessness, and reduced their health care costs.
Dante Gets An Important Jolt of Reality Regarding the Long Term and the Short Term Effects of Youth Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Addiction
After Miss Johnson went over the aforementioned alcohol abuse and alcoholism facts and statistics, it was plain to see that what Miss Johnson disclosed to Dante was a real eye opener for him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only made the effort to explain the long term and the short term results of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency, but she also took the time to corroborate what she was saying with alcoholism and alcohol abuse facts and statistics that related to people in general, and particularly to adolescents.
Certainly, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante promptly grasped why he should not be engaging in abusive and hazardous drinking with or without his buddies any longer. Dante thanked Miss Johnson for her concern and for the information she discussed.
Miss Johnson then asked Dante how he felt about getting a physical examination and an alcohol appraisal for the alcohol abuse or alcoholism treatment he would probably need.
Dante thought about this for a minute and then agreed to get an extensive physical exam and to go through a complete assessment of his drinking behavior so that he could start an alcohol rehabilitation program as soon as possible.
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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