Since 2002 when a study by task force on drinking showed that "abusive drinking by college students is widespread, dangerous and disruptive", binge drinking has been on the rise in the US. By definition binge drinking is described as 5 or more drinks in a row for men and 4 or more drinks in a row for women. Binge drinking is best described as drinking enough to bring the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to .08 or more. This blood alcohol concentration generally occurs in excessive drinking within a two-hour time.
There are over 5000 underage young adults who die from excessive drinking each year, and more than 1,700 college students, between the ages of 18 to 24, get injured due to direct result of alcohol abuse every year. Additionally, every two hours a teenager dies from an alcohol related accident.
All these statistics point to one fact. Teenagers and young adults are dying from alcohol abuse in an alarming rate, and something needs to be done.
The first recommendation has always been education, and specifically educating our teens at an early age. Parents must talk to their children about the dangers of alcohol abuse which can cause immediate medical concerns like vomiting, cold and clammy skin or medical emergencies like shallow breathing and unresponsiveness that could result in coma and death.
Young Adults should know about the consequential effects of alcohol abuse that centers around sex and violence in colleges, and not mentioning a major cause of poor academic performance by college students.
Young adults should know that alcohol is a legal psychoactive drug that can and will cause overdose and death. MRI studies of teens and young adults between the ages of 14 to 21 has shown permanent changes to both pre-frontal cortex (the decision making part of the brain) and the limbic system of the brain. Now, scientists are trying to find out if the changes are reversible.
At the end, the only hope that we have as a society, is to transfer the knowledge we have gained through the many deaths and injuries of our kids to the next generation of youth and hope they use that knowledge to save their life.
If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction and is in need of help, Cove Center for Recovery offers a flexible and affordable young adult and adult addiction treatment program. Our aim is to treat the whole person, and not just an isolated symptom. During the addiction treatment process we work with the patient to identify the factors that may have contributed to the alcohol abuse and addiction – home, friends and medical history. We also believe that families have a vital role to play in the recovery process, and each addiction treatment program has a place for family participation, to educate them in the treatment process and to equip them for their role as supporters.
Reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:
Addiction Treatment for Young Adults and Adults : 1-888-387-6237http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com
Teen Addiction Help:1-888-757-6237 http://www.inspirationsyouth.com
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com
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