There’s a growing number of teens who abuse alcohol. In fact, studies show that around 50 percent of teens have had their first drink by 15 years old. This figure increases to around 70 percent by the time that they turn 18. However, why do teens drinks?
Why Do Teens Drinks?
To understand why teens drink, people have to understand the daily life of a teen. In fact, most teens undergo more peer pressure than their parents know. Experts say that peer pressure is even worse today than it was years ago. Understanding this fact might make it easier for parents to understand why their teens drink.
Exposure to Alcohol at a Young Age
One reason why teens drink is because of exposure to alcohol at a young age. They see family and friends drink. They also see television and other advertisements for alcohol on a regular basis. In short, society puts the idea that drinking is the social norm in their heads at a very young age.
Stress
Most parents think that teens live stress-free lives. However, it’s important for them to remember what it’s like to be a teenager. They can recall the stress that comes with trying to balance work, school and a social life.
At such a young age, most teens don’t know how to deal with stress properly. For that reason, they turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with it. Unfortunately, this behavior breeds an unhealthy relationship with these substances.
Other Reasons
Each teen is different, and therefore there are hundreds of reasons why they might start drinking. While exposure to alcohol and stress are the two most common, some of the others include:
- It makes them feel older
- To fit in with their friends
- Out of boredom or curiosity
- To rebel against their parents
- To relax
Regardless of why do teens drinks, the fact remains that they do. As a result, it’s important to get help for them quickly. The longer that they drink, the harder that it is for them to overcome substance use. Sometimes, it can even develop into something much worse, such as teen drug addiction.
Get Your Teen Help to Stop Drinking
Is your teen in need of teen alcohol rehab? If so, you can count on the experts at Crestview Recovery to provide the help that he or she needs. We’ll create a custom treatment plan for you. A few of the services that we offer include:
- Extended care
- Dual diagnosis treatment
- Individual and group therapy
- Trauma therapy
- Intensive outpatient rehab
Don’t let your teen’s drinking problem grow out of hand at such a young age. Learn more about why do teens drinks? Call us at 866.262.0531 for more information about how we can help your teen quit drinking.
Since 2016, Dr. Merle Williamson, a graduate of Oregon Health Sciences University, has been the Medical Director at Crestview Recovery, bringing a rich background in addiction medicine from his time at Hazelden Treatment Center. He oversees outpatient drug and alcohol treatments, providing medical care, setting policies, detox protocols, and quality assurance measures. Before specializing in addiction medicine, he spent 25 years in anesthesiology, serving as Chair of Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Chief of Anesthesia at Kaiser Permanente. This experience gives him a unique perspective on treating prescription drug addiction.
