Archive for the ‘Teenagers’ Category

TEENAGE DRINKING AND DRIVING

Monday, September 7th, 2009

The tragic statistics are in and the fact remains that car accidents are the leading cause of death of teenagers. This is part of the statistic because there are still some who have lost limbs, have become in a vegetative state as a result of these accidents. Of the accidents, over 50% of them were alcohol-related. “In 2007, 31% of the reported vehicular accidents involved adolescents between the age of 15 to 20 with a blood alcohol level of 0.1 or higher and 26% had 0.08 or higher.
Many formalities have been taken to try to prevent these statistics from becoming worse. Councils have been developed, educators, counselors, parents, physicians are all attempting to bring these numbers down. Some parents and schools short of having to follow the teens and monitor them every minute have taken to using a alcohawk breathalyzer usage to determine either before an event takes place or if the teens have participated in underage drinking and then suffer the consequences.
It has become a public outcry when you view the news and a car full of teens have died in a deadly motor vehicle accident due to drunk driving. Preventative measures are constantly being developed to understand the concept of driving while drunk. Not only for youth but for adults as well. We definitely have to try to work on improving our State by State policies and Federal laws to prevent underage drinking.
It is even more appalling when statics cry out “In a single year, 522 children UNDER the age of 14, were arrested for driving while intoxicated”.
If we evaluate the reasoning for this excessive numbers in teenage drinking and driving incidents, we see a number of issues brought to the surface. We know that we could never be told anything when we were teens, we knew it all – - well that fact has not changed. The fact that teens have the mistaken idea that they are free from harm or untouchable is a seriously prevalent factor. Peers feel that the drinking incidents at the time are funny, and encourage other people to drive. Even amongst adults, the feeling of “I can drive” or “I’m not bad” persists in teens when they get behind the wheel to drive. We know the worst effect is the peer pressure and it seems all sense of reason goes out the door when you are surrounded by your “friends” who think you should all hop in the car and go racing down the street while intoxicated.
Even the person who is doing the pressuring at the time while they also are intoxicated doesn’t even think about the repercussions of drinking and driving. Neither driver nor others around while under the influence of alcohol are making good judgmental decisions.
Many states are lowering the alcohol level in the blood stream, but before they even get to that state and are pulled over, hopefully before an accident is caused, many parents, schools and teen clubs are using breathalyzers to check on the youths. Sometimes the sheer intimidating factor of being tested causes them to not want to “get in trouble” or drink. Some laws are making the places where the beverages were sold to underage teens liable for their accidents. Utilizing all these preventative measures has caused driving drunk not to be so attractive and hopefully will preserve the lives of our youth.

Youth Alcoholism

Sunday, September 6th, 2009

Teenagers comprise approximately 20% of our population . Many of these adolescents arise out of families who have considerable problems. Many times, there are chemical dependencies , grave marital conflicts where a child sees one parent abusing another, financial strife and even mental illness. Based on these surroundings , and with teens going through their own hormonal imbalance and puberty, the moods of these teens are not particularly stable and this can lead to depression. This age group has a significant amount of psychological problems and are in urgency of counseling or psychiatry. Sadly to say, they turn to substances to get intoxicated to forget their issues , the most prevalent one being alcohol. The ages are getting younger and younger, with boys being approximately 12 and girls 13.
A lot of this is friends trying to make them do things they shouldn’t . Trying to fit in, wanting to be accepted, wanting to be part of the in-crowd. Some look at their own parents or older brothers and sisters and use substances as they do.
Once started and once alcohol becomes a numbing factor , the adolescent will continue to use alcohol or drugs on a regular basis and it will become a pattern , leading to alcoholism. Alcohol can lead them to other drugs, harder drugs. It does not take long until it becomes a habit to their substance and they become so addicted, that they just don’t care anymore . It is possible that they will be seen isolating themselves , or out with friends constantly. it may present itself, where they leave behind the activities of daily living and progress to a disheveled state. It actually comes to a point where everything seems to be uncontrollable and feel that the only way they can feel “normal” is to drink or use drugs.
It is hard for parents and teachers to try to cope with this disease . Prevention is probably the best method. Always being aware of what is going on in the students lives, who they associate with , how they are doing in school. Wherein the methods to control what their children are doing has become a grave concern , that they have come to use portable breathalyzers to determine the drug/alcohol level in their child’s system.
Schools themselves are using a breathalyzer when they see certain students who appear intoxicated or high on the campus. They use breathalyzers as a preventative measure for school functions such as dances or games.
Teens will change friends to be around the ones who will participate or provide alcohol to them . Teens tend to blackout due to their lack of being able to tolerate alcohol. Controversial issues will arise more often in the household when the adolescents are drinking or taking drugs. They also try to run away, thinking that either they are the root of the family problem or just cannot cope with being monitored or held down .
When changes in habits and withdrawal from activities are seen, parents or teachers have to step in . The teen can become abusive to authority figures also . Their lives will revolve around drugs and alcohol and its use. A lot of times, in their mind, they understand that they are addicted but cannot seem to control themselves. They will lose their self esteem and become depressed. Unfortunately, some teens who drink too much will find it much easier to take their own lives in an attempt to ease the pain. The depression becomes so great that they can see no way out of their situation and do not have the desire or the wherewithal to cope with everyday life.
It has become a concern amongst parents, teachers and peers over the concerns of teens who are alcoholics. It is time to really step in and take a long hard look at what is going on and monitor our children . An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Sometimes using a alcohawk breathalyzer seems like it is a form of mistrust, but it may be a preventative way. It should be the focus of adults to advise their children or students that they are loved and that the tactics used are only to keep them around and in a healthy way.

Vodka and Adolescents.

Monday, August 31st, 2009

Alcohol has become a much more prevalent problem in teens than drugs are. The figures are climbing for teens drinking and drinking to excess. Younger children are participating in drinking. A large amount of children under the age of 14 have been taken to the hospitals for alcohol toxicity, intoxication or even for motor vehicle accident related to alcohol.
The doctors and counselors are is urgently making people aware of the hazard of drinking, chiefly in adolescents. Over 25% of children admitted to hospitals were suffering from some condition of dependency, and mostly were alcohol-related.
To solve this problem , do we utilize breathalyzers or other type of preventative measures to get the teens to at least have the understanding that we will be watching their conduct which could be critical to them? There are many institutions taking these steps . There has been a definite decrease , perhaps due to the fact that the campaign has been stepped up to bring knowledge to teens about the dangers of drinking has been undertaken.
Previous research has suggested that in recent years , the overall proportion of children drinking alcohol has fallen , perhaps because of a greater fund of knowledge – but still about 23 per cent of 14 and 15-year-old girls concede they got drunk at least once a week, compared with 21 per cent of boys.
It is believed to be roughly 800,000 teens below the age of 15 who consume alcoholic beverages on a daily basis every year, the charity Alcohol Concern says.
There are a lot of youth There are a great number of teens [/spin] who drink large quantities and we need more and more counselors and support groups to be able to handle the large amounts. It is a fact Research has shown [/spin] that if people start drinking when they are younger, they will have the disease of alcoholism when they reach adulthood.
Young people are emulating what they see in the tabloids and newspapers with the stars imbibing alcohol at parties, being found intoxicated and misusing alcohol. This does not help the situation in trying to control their habits . Preventative measures need to be taken. They are lobbying to increase taxes on alcohol. They are providing alcohawk breathalyzers in public institutions such as high schools and colleges to test kids before they start their partying . Parents are also using a breathalyzer to determine the severity of their own children’s habits.
Binge drinking has become a culture and our youth think that is it some sort of game , but this is not what they need to know. They need to know the seriousness of their actions and how it can lead to death and serious crime in many incidences . Children in elementary schools need to understand the hazards of drinking. Since it is creeping into young people’s lives younger and younger, then it must be made aware of so that children and parents understand and will know how to handle these controversies.

Three Things to Keep in Mind When Having Senior Pictures Taken

Saturday, August 29th, 2009

Having any type of professional photograph done is an extremely unique occasion for the person or persons being photographed. Also, senior portraits are an important rite that almost every senior should experience. Since a senior portrait is such a special occasion in a senior’s life, it is best to make sure everything is done correctly. First, you will want to hire a photographer to take your son’s or daughter’s photos. In the Cincinnati area, for example,NKY high school senior pictures are the most sought-after photographers.NKY senior pictures turn out very well every time. After you have selected the best photographer, you need to select a few outfits to wear for the session. Finally, after the pictures have been taken you will must choose the photographs you and your family like the best.

Tips for Planning and Enjoying Your Next Visit To Boston Kids Museum

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

The Childrens Museum in Boston is not only designed to be entertaining for children, but for parents and chaperons as well. When you consider taking your child to the Childrens Museum in Boston, there are several things that you want to keep in mind. First, no matter what age your child is, visiting the museum is exciting and new for them, even if they have been there several times already. The Childrens Museum in Boston always has new things going on, whether it is a new exhibition or workshop activities that your child can participate in.