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TEACHYOUR
CHILDREN
ABOUTALCOHOL
by
Dexter H. Faulkner
P
ARENTS,
not peers, have
the biggest influence on
a young person's use of
a lcohol. This, according to
Dr. Pa tr icia O ' Gorman of
the U.S. Nationa l Institute
on Alcohol Abuse and Alco–
holism.
Sad ly, many parents unwit–
tingly use this influence to pro–
mote d r inking p roblems in
their children . I n contrast,
others insti ll a n attitude of
moderation that stands their
children in good stead when
peer pressure to misuse alcohol
comes along.
And that pressure does come,
and al younger and younger ages.
Teenage and preteen drinking is on
the rise- alcohol has become the
"drug of choice" among the young.
Accord ing to one U.S. government
study, more than 60 percent of 12
year olds dr ink. Another study
showed that a bou t one half of
American high school students go
to drinking parties at Jeast once a
month.
Why do young people turn to
alcohol? They use it for the same
reasons adults do-to relieve stress–
fui pressures, to forget abou t
problems, to go along with the
crowd.
Bu t 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 handli ng 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-
26
solving ability- it only makes the
problems worse.
Parents' Responsiblllty
How can concerned parents coun–
teract the pressure of our alcohol–
saturated society? The fi rst step is to
examine their own drinking habits.
If the important adults in a young
person's life use alcohol as a crutch
("What a rough day- 1
need
a
drink!"), the young person's attitude
toward alcohol will be affected. On
the other hand, if the parents set an
example of genuine moderation in
drink and in other areas of life, sub–
consciously at least, thei r children
perceive: "My parents don't need
alcohol to cope or to have a good
t ime." T his knowledge makes it eas–
ier for them to look for alternatives
that their over-d r inking classmates
have overlooked.
Parents who use fine alcoholic
The PLAIN TRUTH