How
many teenagers are affected by alcohol?
Alcohol use among
young people has become a significant health problem. Teenagers
are drinking more alcohol more often than ever before.
Approximately 92% of high school seniors admit to having tried
alcohol and many of them took their first drink by the age of
12. Each year, more than 10,000 people ages 16 to 25 die as the
result of alcohol use and half of these deaths result from
crashes caused by alcohol impaired driving.
Many young people do not realize that they can become dependent
on alcohol and that alcohol can harm their body and cause
psychological and other problems.
What
are the warning signs of alcohol dependency?
To check your own
drinking habits, answer the following questions:
- Do you ever
drive when impaired by alcohol?
- Do you drink to
forget your problems or to relax?
- Do you drink
alone?
- Are your school
grades slipping?
- Do you ever try
to drink less and fail?
- Have you ever
had a drink in the morning?
- Do you ever
experience memory losses?
- Have you begun
to lie to your family and friends?
- Do you gulp your
drinks instead of sipping them?
If you answered yes
to any of these questions, you may have a drinking problem. Talk
with someone you know, seek professional assistance, or see your
school counselor for help.
How
can I get help if I think I have a drinking problem?
If you or someone
you know has a drinking problem, seek assistance. For those with
mild to moderate alcohol problems, call the University
of Michigan DrinkWise program at (734) 975-4463. For those
with severe alcohol problems, call the University of Michigan Chelsea
Arbor Treatment Center, please call (734) 930-0201.
