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The fact that alcoholic beverages
a re being consumed by young
people is not, of itself, the reason
young people are becoming "ad–
dicted" to alcohol. The major factor
seems to be how the parent or par–
ents drink. Statistics show a direct
relationship between youthful alco–
ho lics and parental alcoholics. The
children of an alcoholic parent
stand a far greater risk of becoming
alcoholics than chi ldren of nonal–
coholic parents.
True, there may be pressures at
school or peer pressure at parties;
true, loneliness, anxiety over grades,
or feelings of inadequacy may con–
tribute to the problem; but the most
important single factor underlying
teen-age alcoholism seems to be
pa–
rental example.
The method a teen–
ager uses to "escape" is most often
the metbod of bis or her own par–
ents!
Declare Baco n and J ones:
"... teen-age drinking patterns imi–
tate adult drinking pattems." Tbey
add: "Parents' drinking behavior,
on tbe other band, is certainly very
important
in
deterrnining wbetber
their children wiU or wiU not drink.
It is probably the most important
single intluence"
(ibid. ,
p. 59).
Take the example of Jan, a lovely
brunette of 23. Jan became an alco–
holic at age 16. She became drunk
the same night she took her first
drink. Alcohol , she related, made
her feel good, comfortable, and able
to meet people.
She also has a younger brother,
age 16, who has been a member of
Alcoholics Anonymous for three
months.
How did Jan become an alco–
holic? Her parents separated when
she was 15, and she lived with her
mother, who was a heavy drinker
ul drank as often
and as much as
1 could.
My eventual goal
was to drink
myself to death."
Ernst Herb - Ploin Trvth Photo
29