Alcohol and Teens

Last night I attended a very informative meeting sponsored by S.P.A.R.K.(Students & Parents Against Risk to our Kids). This group seeks to raise awareness about many issues that pose risk to teens. They are concerned with all kinds of things from Internet danger, eating related illnesses, drugs, and alcohol. Last night was focused on alcohol and drug use issue among teens in Southlake.

Here are some of my notes:
It doesn't matter how good of a parent you are, and how good your child is, the will be tempted to use drugs and alcohol at some point. It's starts in 7th grade, and only gets more intense from there on up.

One local police officer was present who works with teens every day at the schools. He said that teens are exposed to the temptations of drugs and alcohol in some form EVERY DAY!!!!

Other notes:
- From the police officer, "Friends will make you or break you in high school."

- Most popular drugs: alcohol (number 1), inhalants, prescription meds

- Most common place to use these: at home by far, then at parties.

- All types of kids use alcohol, a quote from the police officer, "If you took all the kids out of the National Honor Society who use, there would be no NHS."

- Parents, you have to give your kids an excuse to say NO to their friends and these temptations.

- The cool thing in Southlake is for parents to host a party, and serve all the kids alcohol. Yes, these wonderful parents take up car keys. But, THIS IS ILLEGAL. It is against the law for you to serve any other kids alcohol. And any kid found with alcohol will receive a minor in possession.

- Penalty for a parent hosting this type of party: $4000 fine, up to 6 months jail, 6 months suspended license.

- If a parent does host one of these parties, and then a kid gets hurt, alcohol poisoning, or drives off and kills someone, that parent is liable.

- Minor in possession, or consumption: $500 fine, 8-40 hours community service, loss of drivers license for 30 days.

- A minor cannot go to a party and be the "designated driver". That is against the law, and they will receive a MIP.

- Other problems that are associate with teen parties where alcohol is present: assault, alcohol poisoning, sexual assault, property damage, drug use, rape.

- New fad, "pharmy party" - kids go to a party, swipe a bottle of prescription medication from their parents cabinet, dump them in a huge bowl like jelly beans, and start popping the pills.

- Most parents just don't know or care about teens and alcohol. S.P.A.R.K. held a conference on eating disorders and Internet dangers and had 400 people attend. At the one on alcohol 22 people came. (including me)

- If parents don't educate their kids about these issues at young age, they will be educated by other kids and peer pressure.

Mardi Gras and Alcohol

O.k. I am about to open a can of worms and see where it leads.

The subject of alcohol is a hot topic and is like wading into a minefield. Let me proceed cautiously.

First of all, I don't drink alcohol. The last time alcohol entered my system must have been through some cough medicine, maybe. I'll explain why in a bit.

Honestly, I just don't get it! What is so appealing about alcohol.

On my flight to Mardi Gras there was a group of women sitting behind me on the plane. They were on their way to party at Mardi Gras. They were giddy with excitement and chatted together the entire flight. They major topic of discussion and laughs was about all the alcohol they were going to consume. They were absolutely bursting with anticipation about alcohol.

Is it really all that? Maybe it is, and I just don't know. That is not what my eyes witnessed with the thousands of people intoxicated at Mardi Gras. They looked miserable to me.

Alcohol at Mardi Gras is like sand on a beach. It is everywhere, comes in every type imaginable, and can be consumed through many odd different contraptions.

At about 11:45 I saw this one guy stumbling towards me. Around his neck was a plastic looking fishbowl. Inside this rather large fishbowl was some type of pink alcoholic concoction. It had a lanyard around it so that the fishbowl hung at the the guys chest. It had a large straw that reached up to the mouth so they guy could drink from the fishbowl hands free. Human ingenuity is so amazing!

He was blitzed and drunk. He started talking to us, and I think he might have been speaking in tongues. He made no sense, his words were not just slurred, they were barely recognizable. There is no way this guy is going to remember what he did the next day. He probably got sick, killed many brain cells, was in serious danger of alcohol poisoning, and could have been easily taken advantage of. That does not sound like fun to me.

I bet he woke up with a hangover, sobered up, and then laughed with his buddies about how much fun he had, even though he couldn't remember any of it. That is either ridiculous, or I am missing something.

Why do people love alcohol so much? Why does our society worship at the alcohol altar? Seriously, alcohol is a god. It is an idol that people worship.

I'd be willing to compare my sober fun to anyone's alcohol fun. I have had more fun with Christ followers, even doing ministry, that I think far surpasses the "fun" people were having at Mardi Gras. I know that following Christ is not about having fun, but it does have moments that are incredibly fun. I don't just mean humorous, I mean that I have been hysterical with laughter and having an absolute blast. And the best part, I remember all of it.

I don't need alcohol, I have the joy of Christ.
I don't need alcohol to unwind from a tough day, I have the peace of Christ.
I don't need alcohol to liven things up, I have abundant life in Christ.
I don't need alcohol to quench my thirst, I'll just drink water.

It's just not necessary!

Parents, Kids, Alcohol

“It’s just a beer.” Is that the message that our kids receive. Look at these statistics.

* On an average day 8000 adolescents 12-17 drank alcohol for the first time.

* The primary source that supplies adolescents with alcohol is their parents. Whether they know it or not.

* Of those who took their first drink before age 14, half become dependent at some point.

* 18% of 8th graders admit to being drunk at least once.

* 34% of 9th graders report that they have consumed alcohol before they were 13 years old.

My commentary on the above statistics:
* Thinking that your kids are too young to know and learn about alcohol is a gamble not worth the risk.

* The primary influence in a child’s life is their parents. What they see you do weighs more heavily upon their perceptions than what you say. For example, if you tell your child not to drink alcohol, but they see you do it – the message they learn is that alcohol is o.k.

* 1 out of 6 people have a genetic predisposition to alcoholism. For these people, one drink, just one drink, may be all that it takes to start them down the road of a lifetime of addiction. You cannot know if your children have that predisposition.

Don’t be a stumbling block.