Dante was a sixteen year old high school junior who was manifesting several alcohol-related problems at school. For that reason, the principal explained to him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school counselor, before he would be allowed to come back to class.
Later that day when Dante went home after school, he had to go over his school suspension with his Mom and Dad. His parents were “fairly old-fashioned” and explained to Dante that getting kicked out of school was not a practical educational game plan. They informed Dante that failing to graduate from high school would likely be like a lead weight around his feet that could conceivably impede his educational attainment for the remainder of his adult life. Moreover, Dante’s Mom and Dad were extremely dissatisfied that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his peers in the second.
His Mom and Dad explained to Dante that although he may be an adolescent, he needs to comprehend without much delay that drinking is the road to pain, failure, ill health, and financial problems.
It was obvious that his Mom and Dad were absolutely in agreement with Dante’s principal and told Dante that he had better make plans to see Miss Johnson, the school psychologist. After his discussion with his Mother and Father, Dante eventually agreed to see Miss Johnson the next school day. So Dante phoned the school and scheduled an appointment to see Miss Johnson the next morning.
The Counselor Asks Dante if He Understands Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Behavior Caused Quite a Bit of Anxiety By the School Administrators
When Dante arrived at his scheduled appointment with Miss Johnson, she instantaneously looked at all of the alcohol-related difficulties Dante had experienced and asked him if he comprehended why his recent alcohol-related activities caused quite a bit of concern by the school administrators.
Quite sincerely, Dante was not sure why the principal informed him that he had to see a school psychologist. As he expressed to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional counselor about his drinking circumstances? Due to the fact that virtually all of his peers drink the same amount that he does, in essence, drinking is no big thing. Stated more directly, if nearly everyone is drinking, why is this such a major problem?
Miss Johnson asked Dante when he started to drink. He said that some of his older friends introduced him to drinking wine coolers when he was twelve or thirteen years old and getting ready to enter the seventh grade.
Miss Johnson explained to Dante that while his peers may indeed drink as much as he does and that they may be a bad influence on him, the facts are that he is the one who is getting suspended from school due to alcohol-related absenteeism, fighting, and delinquency, not his buddies. What is more, Miss Johnson also emphasized the fact that Dante, and not his classmates, is the one who is failing and who is missing one day of class per week because of his alcohol related issues. Finally, Miss Johnson underscored the fact that due to his drinking situation, Dante is getting into a dangerous cycle of abusive drinking that can sooner or later destroy his life.
In short, Dante’s involvement with teenage alcohol abuse was beginning to thwart his ability to conduct himself like an accountable young man. As stated by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your friends drink wine coolers, hard liquor, beer, or wine does not mean that it is the healthiest thing in the world for you.”
Dante Learns That At the End of the Day He Must Claim Responsibility For Himself In Order to Avert Damaging, Unhealthy, Dangerous, and Destructive Effects In the Future
Miss Johnson informed Dante that one’s classmates can undeniably influence a person in a negative manner, but that the person herself or himself has to sooner or later be responsible for herself or himself in order to avert damaging, destructive, dangerous, and unhealthy effects down the road.
Luckily, Miss Johnson was extremely well equipped for her scheduled time with Dante. She showed him reports and research studies she had highlighted that summarized diverse drinking statistics and facts that applied to most people in general. Then she showed Dante quite a bit of data that applied mainly to underage drinkers.
For example, Miss Johnson underscored the difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency and told Dante that people who continue to drink in a hazardous manner often become dependent on alcohol.
Miss Johnson also explained the concept of binge drinking that she defined as follows: ingesting four or more drinks in one sitting for females and drinking four or more drinks in one sitting for females.
The Therapist Articulates Several Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependency Statistics and Facts
Then Miss Johnson conveyed various alcohol facts and the following eight alcohol abuse statistics:
1. As shown in one study, almost 11% of 8th-graders, 22% of 10th-graders, and 27% of 12th-graders articulated that they involved themselves in hazardous drinking.
2. Between 48% and 64% of the individuals who pass away in fires have blood alcohol levels showing inebriation.
3. Pre-teens who are drinking alcohol by 7th grade are more likely to exhibit substance abuse, delinquent behavior, and academic problems in both high school and junior high school.
4. In the U.S., 33% of all suicides, and 25% of all emergency room admissions are alcohol-related.
5. In the U.S. among drivers between the ages of 15 and 20, deadly crashes involving a single vehicle at night are three times more likely to be related to alcohol than to other deadly accidents.
6. In the United States, more than 40 percent of the people who begin drinking before the age of 13 will develop alcohol abuse or alcoholism at some time in their lives.
7. In the U.S, by the time they are high school seniors, 80% of high school students have used alcohol and 62% have been drunk.
8. Treatment for alcohol addiction has been demonstrated to decrease criminal activity up to 80% among long-term offenders, has reduced their health care costs, decreased their homelessness, and increased their rate of employment.
Dante Receives A Much Needed Primer on the Facts Regarding the Short Term and the Long Term Consequences of Teenage Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
After Miss Johnson listed the aforementioned alcohol abuse and alcoholism statistics and facts, it was clear that what Miss Johnson revealed to Dante was a real source of revelation for him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only made the effort to go over the long term and the short term results of alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction, but she also made the effort to demonstrate what she was saying with alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction facts and statistics that related to everyone, and particularly to teens.
Without a doubt, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante instantly realized why he should not be engaging in hazardous and excessive drinking with or without his classmates anymore. Dante thanked Miss Johnson for her concern and for the material she reviewed.
Miss Johnson then asked Dante how he felt about getting a physical examination and an alcohol evaluation for the alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency rehab he would probably need.
Dante thought about this for few minutes and then agreed to get a complete physical exam and to go through a comprehensive appraisal of his drinking circumstances so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency rehabilitation program in a reasonable time frame.
