Motherhood: Ways To Protect Your Teen From Alcohol And Other Drugs 2

Teenagers prefer alcohol over other drugs. As a result, many are currently suffering the effects of excessive drinking at a young age. Underage drinking is therefore a major public health issue in counties all over the world.

According to a report, a total of 5,000 teenagers under the age of 21 pass away every year as a result of underage drinking. This includes hundreds of deaths from other injuries like falls, burns, and drownings, as well as about 1,900 deaths from car accidents, 1,600 deaths from homicides, 300 deaths from suicide, and about 1,600 deaths from homicide.

Yet, studies show that teen drinking is still pervasive in most countries. According to another study, teenagers who start drinking earlier in life are more prone to behave in ways that are harmful to both themselves and others.

The question is, why do teenagers get involved in alcohol, especially at a very early age? What can we do as mothers to prevent this? Also, what steps can we take as mothers to help out teenagers who are already involved in alcohol?

A) WHY DO SOME TEENAGERS GET INVOLVED IN ALCOHOL?
There are reasons why teens drink. Teenagers may drink alcohol for a variety of reasons, just like every individual is unique.

1)PEER PRESSURE
It is pertinent for all mothers to know this; ” teen years are challenging, in fact, more challenging now than before”. Teenagers want to feel like they belong somewhere, whether the place is right for them or not. It may be in their core circle of friends

In the adolescent stage, their bodies go through some changes. These changes may make them have feelings they don’t understand if they don’t have prior knowledge of these changes. This is why it is important for us as mothers to educate our children before they grow into adolescence. As we educate them, we also pray for them.

They may also be having difficulties in school as classes may become tougher for them as they progress through middle and high school. Therefore, to get their mind off all these, they may be lured by their friends into taking alcohol.

They may also be influenced to make poor decisions by their desire to fit in. It is pertinent for us to know that teenagers’ decision to drink alcohol is frequently influenced by their peers.

Don’t dismiss it, even the most self-assured ones occasionally have second thoughts. The truth is that some teenagers find it difficult to say “no” to alcohol when attending large gatherings or even when they are simply hanging out with their friends. They think that by declining a drink, they will not fit in.

Because of this, as mothers, we are expected to educate our children about alcohol and the reasons why teens drink. We are also expected to have built good relationships with our children before they get to the adolescent stage. This will make them feel free to talk to us, instead of their friends.