How to prevent alcoholism among young people

The impact of alcohol dependence over a long period is extremely detrimental to health. Alcohol is currently the most commonly used drug among young people under the age of 18, with alcoholism killing more than smoking.

Women are hardest hit by addiction. The life expectancy of alcoholic women is 4.6 times lower than those with healthy habits. Among men the prospect is not much better. Alcoholic men have an almost twice as long life expectancy as non-addicted men.

Alcoholism is encouraged at home

Socially accepted by culture, drink is part of the daily life of young people, whether at family gatherings, at parties at the weekend. As many families still consider this drug less harmful, most of the time the initiation to alcohol occurs in the family environment.

Another factor that contributes to the development of alcoholism among teenagers is the desire to be accepted into their group of friends and have a good image with colleagues.

The use of alcohol in many cases represents a kind of rite of passage from childhood to adulthood or even a ritual of belonging to a group without realizing how harmful this addiction can become in a person’s life.

Preaching for the prevention of alcoholism in adolescence is fundamental to preserving the health and life of young people. For this, it is necessary to observe if the adolescent has a family history of the disease.

When this occurs, a preventive awareness process should be established in order to avoid future trends in alcohol abuse and dependence on these young people. This is because, in many cases, the problem is only to start consumption, which is the trigger for serious future problems. And if the problems happen, an alcohol treatment may be needed.

Often only knowledge about the harmful effects of alcohol is not enough to prevent adolescents from consuming alcohol. Only because it is a psychological disease, which causes serious damage to the body, it is necessary to establish strategies to prevent alcoholism in adolescence that involves the younger social strata. One form of prevention is to encourage them to have a healthy lifestyle. Only the prohibition of alcohol consumption among adolescents is not sufficient as long as alcoholic beverages are readily accessible and there is a need for increased awareness of health and safety promotion.

Education is a weapon against alcoholism

Conducting didactic and interactive seminars exposing the hazards and harms of alcohol use and abuse can be an effective way of preventing as well as encouraging recreational and sports activities for young people to occupy their free time. With a more critical view of the damage that alcohol can cause in the physical body and that addiction and abuse can cause irreversible damage to their lives, adolescents can better understand the harm and richness inherent in the disease, from this, make their decisions and take responsibility for their options.

Awareness about alcoholism is the best way to prevent alcoholism among young people. Did you like the article? What is your opinion about it? Come share your experiences!