Underage drinking and the signs

Durban - There is much debate around the government’s intention to make 21 the legal age for drinking alcohol in South Africa.

Some argue that parents should have the right to impose these limitations on their children – not the government. Others say that upping the age limit will make no difference as underage drinking is already rife in this country, and that better education is the answer.

The SAB 18+ campaign suggests that adults need to be aware of behaviour that might indicate that their teenagers may be consuming alcohol.

There are many reasons teenagers use alcohol, such as boredom, as a coping mechanism against stress, anxiety and depression or because of low self-esteem. It is essential to know the reasons to be able to spot the behavioural patterns associated with them and to avoid underage drinking.

Figures from the 2012 Unisa Youth Research Unit Substance Abuse Survey Research indicate that around 15 percent of boys and eight percent of girls said they’d had their first drink before the age of 13.

“The Unisa research also shows that a percentage of teenagers in the average South African home have at some stage experimented with alcohol. Yet other research we have done shows that the vast majority of parents believe their kids do not drink,” said Jason Levin, the MD of HDI Youth Marketers, which runs SAB’s You Decide underage drinking schools programme.

SAB, which recently launched the 18+ campaign as a call to action for adults to be role models in the fight against underage drinking, says parents and adults need to be especially vigilant at this time of year.

The company has compiled a checklist of warning signs to be on the lookout for to prevent underage drinking.

Find the triggers:

Find out if there is anything which might tempt your teenager to want to use alcohol. Are they trying to fit in, trying to reduce stress or feel relaxed? Make this an open discussion about the triggers they have identified or shared. Once you determine why a child is tempted to drink, you can help him/her fight those triggers by finding other ways to reduce stress, relax, or remove peer pressure.

Stress, anxiety and depression:

Pay attention to your teenager for signs of stress, anxiety and depression. Teenagers sometimes feel overwhelmed by life and may then turn to alcohol for solace if they don’t have a healthy outlet for frustration, social anxiety, depression, anger and all the other emotions that are part and parcel of growing.

Alcohol is a very powerful anxiolytic drug which reduces symptoms of stress and anxiety. After initial exposure to alcohol, teenagers start to believe it can ward off their painful feelings.

Furthermore, if their lives aren’t going well, they figure they have nothing to lose by using alcohol. Teens with undiagnosed and unmanaged anxiety problems are at particular risk for abusing alcohol.

Alcohol works quickly. The initial effects feel really good, especially for teens who want to get rid of their bad feelings. The problem is that when the effects wear off, the negative feelings return even stronger.

Your teen regularly complains about being bored:

Teenagers who can’t tolerate being alone, have trouble keeping themselves occupied and crave excitement, are prime candidates for using alcohol.

Your teen starts exhibiting signs of rebellion and anger:

Many teens choose to express their anger at their parents by doing something they have been told not to do. Alcohol is the drug of choice for angry teenagers because it frees them to behave aggressively – this can be a concrete display of defiance and rejection of their parents.

They start mimicking their friends:

Listen to them and watch them to see if they have fallen into the “Everyone is doing it” trap. Teenagers are astute observers and they see lots of people using alcohol.

Furthermore, movies, TV, and the internet glorify the use of alcohol. Teens generally widely overstate the number of their peers who use alcohol. Some may feel “If I don’t drink I will have no one to hang out with”. Most importantly, they see some teenagers who enjoy alcohol and they ask: “How can it be wrong?” Their natural curiosity also contributes to their experimentation with alcohol.

Your teen lacks confidence:

Some teenagers would do things under the influence of alcohol that they otherwise would never risk doing, for example, having to get drunk before going to a party or having to get drunk to strike up the courage to talk to someone. Alcohol can become a crutch which teenagers rely on and they don’t feel comfortable in a social setting without it.

Other warning signs:

Although the following signs may indicate a problem with alcohol or other drugs, some may also point to normal adolescent behaviour. However, if you notice several of these signs at the same time, if they occur suddenly, and if some of them are extreme in nature, it could be a sign of alcohol use.

* Mood swings: flare-ups of temper, irritability, and defensiveness.

* School problems: poor attendance, low marks, and/or recent disciplinary action.

* Switching friends, along with a reluctance to have you get to know the new friends.

* A “don’t-care” attitude: sloppy appearance, a lack of involvement in former interests, and general low energy.

* Finding alcohol in your child’s room or backpack, or smelling alcohol on his or her breath.

* Physical or mental problems: memory lapses, poor concentration, bloodshot eyes, lack of coordination, or slurred speech.

“Teenagers may often be unsupervised, so it is important for parents and adults to monitor teenagers as best they can. It is not okay for underage youths to drink alcohol under any circumstances,” said Levin.

The Mercury