You will find that there has been intense scientific research to support that the abuse of alcohol is often related to genetics. In a study performed in conjunction with the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, they found that genetics plays a major role, especially with that of a father and son and the chances are that if someone in the family has abused alcohol at some point, it may contribute to one of their children suffering from the same problem. In fact they can be up to nine times more likely to have a problem in the future if it is a father and son. An interesting fact here is that children who are adopted from alcoholic parents and brought up by non-alcoholic parents, will still be more likely to be affected by the abuse of alcohol.
What are the contributing factors for alcohol and drug abuse?
Many kids will start drinking socially at a party now and then, while for others it develops into more of a regular thing.
*Peer pressure is the greatest factor and this is the biggest problem that we have on our hands. Being accepted in a group is extremely important to kids, and sometimes they will drink to fit-in.
*Kids who lack a strong self-image will take to alcohol easily because it makes them feel relaxed and with a drink or a bottle of beer in their hand they will feel like one of the crowd.
*Kids begin to abuse alcohol on a more regular basis because of the feeling they get from it. Shy kids benefit a lot from this because it makes them feel more confident and this leads to abuse. Kids who are having a hard time at home because their parents are getting divorced or something tough is happening in their lives will often turn to alcohol.
*When parents are working or are not as supportive as they should be or when kids are allowed to be more independent they seem to find the need to explore and are curious about what is out there.
*Older brothers and sisters who don't want the responsibility of looking after their younger siblings simply take them to parties where it is easy for them to experiment with different drugs and this is where it all begins. They will make friendships with older people who will always be able to buy alcohol.
*Once kids are addicted to alcohol they will want to move onto the next step which can be dangerous. This can lead to hard drugs.
Parents need to be aware of what their children are doing, where they are hanging out and with whom. Taking alcohol awareness classes online are a good way to give your children the awareness and education they need to make the right choices. Sometimes, hearing other people’s stories about where there addiction has led them can help to scare some sense into the teenager. You can take classes in the privacy of your own, at any time of the day or night, and with the entire family if you’d like. They are beneficial in helping create a discussion on how to avoid this disease. For children of alcoholics, these classes are especially beneficial prior to the child taking his first drink!