Tag Archives: alcohol abuse

How to stop drinking

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How to stop drinking

how to stop drinkingDrinking isn’t a scary thing until it becomes a problem. It gets especially scary when you find yourself drinking even when you don’t want to. It can seem impossible to overcome your drinking but there are actually steps you can to stop drinking. As long as you haven’t reached the point of no return you can do what you need to rewind and stop your problem drinking in its tracks.

How to stop drinking: acknowledge why you do it

Why do you engage in your drinking? You have to be able to answer that question in order to stop drinking. Is it to help you with anxiety and stress? It may be hard to admit why you have you are drinking but you can’t change what you don’t acknowledge exists. Admit why you engage in the problem drinking to yourself and you are on your to stopping drinking.

How to stop drinking: Think rational thoughts instead of sitting in denial

You probably understand at a conscious and intellectual level that your drinking is unhealthy yet you keep on using or drinking and this baffles you. If you are in denial about your drinking this is probably why. If you can’t get through the day without a shot of vodka, you may be self-medicating and if you have reached the point of knowing its bad and can’t stop you may need outside help from something like a drug rehab to stop drinking. Realizing this is a rational thought.

How to stop drinking: Using coping skills

People never break bad habits they merely replace them with new ones. Recognize that you get a reward of some sort from smoking, using drugs, and drinking. Find something else to give you that reward and you have found new coping skills and have stopped the drinking. If you have reached the point of no return and need to attend rehab it is still a very good idea to find new coping skills for life for when you are out of rehab. Finding new coping skills can stop drinking in its tracks. And if you can stop drinking then you can begin to live a healthy life again. You have the ability to quiet yourself without drugs and alcohol; without your alcohol. You also have the ability to reduce stress without drugs and alcohol. Find new things to use to stop drinking instead of drugs and alcohol which fuel it.

How to stop drinking: Have a support system and become accountable

If you truly want to stop drinking and get clean then you are going to need help from people and you are going to need to be accountable to those people. Accountability means showing up when you say you are going to and no longer engaging in alcoholic drinking behaviors like being flaky. The support system you have is meant to help you stop drinking by telling you the truth about yourself when you want to go into denial about your drinking. Your support system will also help you to find new ways to be healthier and do those things with you. Support and accountability can also come in the form of rehab to stop drinking.

 

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Alcoholism in College

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Alcoholism in College

College drinking is extremely widespread: about four out of five college students drink alcohol. About half of college students who drink, do so by binge drinking. The first 6 weeks of freshman year is an especially vulnerable time for heavy drinking and alcohol-related consequences because of student expectations and social pressures at the start of the academic year.

College Drinking: Trending Toward Alcoholism in College Students?

A new study shows that 6% of college students meet criteria for a diagnosis of alcohol dependence or alcoholism and 31% meet the clinical criteria for alcohol abuse. The study also found that more than two of every five students report at least one symptom of these conditions, putting them at increased risk of developing a true alcohol disorder.

More than 14,000 students at 119 4-year colleges were surveyed by researchers who then based their findings on these responses. Researches included questions that are based on criteria for the diagnosis of alcohol disorders as set forth by the American Psychiatric Association. Alcohol disorders include alcohol dependence, the most severe, to alcohol abuse, a less advanced, although still serious disorder.

Binge Drinking and Alcoholism in College

Binge drinkers (heavy episodic drinkers) and especially those who frequently binge drink, are at an increased risk of developing one of these alcohol disorders. Heavy episodic drinkers are defined as men who had five or more—or women who had four or more—drinks in a row at least once in a two week period before completing the survey questionnaire. The definition of a frequent heavy episodic drinker is someone who has consumed these amounts at least three times in the previous two weeks.

Further Findings of Alcoholism in College

Students who attend colleges with heavy drinking environments are more likely to be diagnosed with abuse or dependence. Male students are at greater risk than females. Nearly one in 10 college men under age 24 met a 12-month diagnosis of alcohol dependence compared to one in 20 college women under age 24.

Community Impact of Alcoholism in College

Each year, drinking affects college students, as well as college communities, and families.  And it’s clear that there is a relationship between alcohol and crime. The consequences of drinking include:

Death: 1,825 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die each year from alcohol-related unintentional injuries.

Assault: More than 690,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking.

Sexual Abuse: More than 97,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape.

Injury: 599,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 receive unintentional injuries while under the influence of alcohol.

Academic Problems: About 25% of college students report academic consequences of their drinking including missing class, falling behind, doing poorly on exams or papers, and receiving lower grades overall.

Health Problems: More than 150,000 students develop an alcohol-related health problem.

Suicide Attempts: Between 1.2 and 1.5 percent of students indicate that they tried to commit suicide within the past year due to drinking or drug use.

Drunk Driving: Each year an estimated 3,360,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 drive under the influence of alcohol.

Prevention: Alcoholism in College

Research strongly suggests that prevention strategies geared towards particular groups, specifically individual students, the student body as a whole, the college itself and its surrounding community, can help reduce the frequency and quantity of college drinking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:

http://alcoholism.about.com/

http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Is Alcoholism Really A Brain Disease?

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Is alcoholism a brain disease

Many people don’t know alcoholism is a brain disease because they only see the outward manifestations of the disease. But the truth is addiction is a chronic brain disease that goes far beyond behavioral problems and poor choices.

In August 2011, the ASAM (American Society of Addiction Medicine) released its new text “The Definition of Addiction (Long Version),” which for one of the first times ever, extended addiction to include behaviors rather than just drug and alcohol abuse. A group of almost 100 addiction experts worked long and hard to arrive at the new definition of addiction and concluded that addiction is more about the brain; not about the alcohol, drugs, sex, or gambling. It is about the neurology of the brain not the outward behavior that we so often associate with alcoholism.

So why is alcoholism a brain disease?

Alcoholism affects the brain’s reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry to the extent that the alcoholic person’s motivations are altered so that their alcoholic behavior has no replaced healthy, self-caring behaviors. This is what may make some alcoholics seem insane and willing to give up so much for booze.

The brain’s reward system is also altered so that the memory of other rewards such as food, sex, and drugs or alcohol, now trigger a biological as well as a behavioral response, to engage in the alcoholic behavior again despite the negative consequences, and in some instances, even though the alcoholic doesn’t even find pleasure in drinking.

Alcoholism also affects the front cortex of the brain. When alcoholism affects the front cortex of the brain it also alters impulse control and judgment. This results in what many alcoholics describe as needing to drink to feel normal. The ASAM calls it the pathological pursuit rewards, when addicts return to their addictive behavior to feel as good as you would on a daily basis.

The front cortex of the brain is responsible for inhibiting impulsivity and delaying gratification also. Because this area of the brain continues developing into young adulthood the ASAM say this could be why early onset exposure to alcohol and drugs leads to the development in alcoholism in many people. Think about it. When you are younger you are learning how to control impulses and delaying gratification. For instance, waiting to go hang out with friends until after you finished homework. If drugs or alcohol are involved in this development process of course it is going to alter the brain’s ability to control impulse and want for instant gratification.

So how is alcoholism as a brain disease treated?

A comprehensive alcohol treatment program should focus on all active and potential substances and behaviors that could be addictive. A alcohol treatment program must also give tools to not only deal with the health issues in the body but also the mental issues in the brain. Because alcoholism is a brain disease doesn’t mean alcoholics are off the hook either; they must take responsibility for their behaviors and begin doing something to change them. Usually these changes happen in alcohol rehabilitation center.

 

Source: http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh27-2/toc27-2.htm

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Alcohol Abuse in the Music Industry

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Alcohol Abuse in The Music Industry

Drug and alcohol abuse in the music industry has long been sort of an accepted part of the culture.  How many famous musicians have overdosed on drugs and alcohol? How many more have waged battles against addiction, checking in and out of rehab so many times we’ve lost count?

The culture not only tolerates substance abuse, it almost demands it. Many people in the music industry worry if they turn their back on the party they will lose what makes their music good or what makes them appealing to their fans.

But the culture of drug and alcohol abuse in the music industry is undergoing a major transition across the entire musical landscape, according to artists, managers and others in the industry.  There is a higher degree of awareness now, and people are starting to recognize that even recreational use can kill you.

I recently spoke to a women who had spent her entire career working for the music industry. She said,

“It used to be so common, 20 years ago, to drink and do drugs on the job. We’d have entire days devoted towards a certain type of alcohol-like beer Wednesdays or vodka Fridays. Every executive had a full bar in the office and drinking was almost a requirement of the job.”

Then, she says, the landscape started to change.

“The constant drinking slowed, started to become taboo. There was still a group of us who did cocaine every day, but we could no longer do it out in the open. We started going to the bathroom together. Everyone knew what we were doing, but we couldn’t do it on our desks anymore. Executives stopped offering us drinks when we walked into the office. Things just changed.”

Kate* is now in a sober living facility after spending 90 days in an inpatient treatment center.

Part of the change may have to do with the economy, Kate says.

“Everyone is worried about the bottom line, and everyone has to be accountable. When the music industry stopped making as much money, everyone started to focus on productivity.”

More artists have also gone public with their addictions, and addiction is recognized for what it is- a disease. Gratuitous alcohol abuse in the music industry is no longer encouraged and rewarded as it once was.  It is now considered cool for artists to take care of themselves and live a healthy lifestyle.

In the mid-1980s, Aerosmith broke down the door that made it okay for big-name artists to go public with their sobriety. In the years since, several other artists have made their sobriety known.

In the 90’s, the Safe Harbor Room-a backstage area that provides a support system to artists and crew members struggling with addiction issues was instituted at the Grammy Awards. Today, Safe Harbor Room program has been extended to South by Southwest, the NAMM convention, Coachella, Ozzfest, the CMA Awards and other events.

Other programs, like Road Recovery, have made it easier for artists to use a drug-free road crew.

Sources:

http://www.today.com/id/5033438/ns/today-entertainment/t/music-industry-coming-grips-addiction/

http://musicians.about.com/od/beingamusician/tp/Five-Tips-For-Coping-With-Addiction-In-The-Music-Industry.htm

http://www.codyenterprise.com/news/opinion/article_561c10dc-5c20-11e1-b7b9-001871e3ce6c.html

 

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Alcoholism and Violence

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Alcoholism and Violence

Alcoholism and Violence

Obviously, there is a strong correlation between alcoholism and violence. Add alcohol to any tension fueled environment, and you have a recipe for disaster.  Alcohol can lower impulse control and cloud rational judgment. When something angers an alcoholic while they are intoxicated, it can very quickly lead to violence.

Alcoholism and Violence: Brain Chemistry

Not all alcoholics are violent, but there is a significant minority that is. Drunken violence is related to brain chemistry. Brain cells communicate with each other using chemicals called neurotransmitters. Brains of certain alcoholics often have a different form of a key molecule, which stops the mood-regulating chemical, serotonin, from being transported properly. These types of alcoholics are known as “type 2” alcoholics, and they are frequently prone to violent behavior.

Alcoholism and Violence: Anger Issues

Obviously, people who already are prone to anger issues are going to be more likely to be violent when drunk.  Alcohol changes the way you process information, so it compromises your ability to process multiple sources of environmental information. This makes it difficult to determine the intentions of people around you. When you’re drunk, you’re far more likely to view actions as intentional, and if you are already prone to aggression, you can become violent.

Drinking also erases worry about the possible consequences of aggression. While someone with anger issues may get very angry about something that happens, they may be able to take a minute to think through the ramifications of becoming violent. This ability to take a breather and calm down can prevent them from acting out. However, alcoholism and violence go hand in hand because alcohol often causes you to forget about consequences of your actions. People who have anger issues may also use alcohol as an excuse for getting violent, believing that aggressive actions are more easily explained and forgiven if it happens when they are under the influence.

Alcoholism and Violence: Domestic Violence

About 80% of domestic abuse cases involve drugs and alcohol. Domestic abuse cases when the abuser is under the influence of drugs and alcohol tend to be much more extreme and result in greater injury. Alcoholics, especially while under the influence, tend to have a shorter fuse, erupting into violence when they get angry.

Alcoholism and Violence: Neglect of Children

Even alcoholic parents who don’t resort to violence tend to neglect children when they are under the influence. Neglect is the failure of a parent or guardian to provide for a child’s basic needs. Neglect may be physical, medical, educational, or emotional.  A number of studies have established that alcohol is a significant factor in child neglect and being mistreated is a factor in the child developing alcohol problems later in life. This becomes a vicious cycle: The alcoholic parent mistreats a child, who then becomes an alcoholic later in life as a result. Alcohol is a factor in almost half of all child welfare investigations in the United States and a parent with a history of harmful alcohol use has been consistently shown to increase the risk of child maltreatment.

Sources: http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/world_report/factsheets/fs_child.pdf

http://www.choosehelp.com/topics/anger-management/why-does-drinking-release-the-rage-understand-alcohol-related-anger-and-aggression

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2005/jul/21/thisweekssciencequestions

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Alcohol Addiction

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Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol Addiction: Definition

Alcohol addiction, or alcoholism, is a chronic, progressive disease that includes problems controlling your drinking, being preoccupied with alcohol, continuing to drink despite negative consequences, having to drink more to get the same effect or having withdrawal symptoms when you rapidly decrease or stop drinking.

It is possible to have a problem with alcohol, even when it has not progressed to the point of alcoholism. Problem drinking means you drink too much at times, causing repeated problems, but you are not completely dependent on drinking.

Alcohol Addiction: Facts

Alcohol addiction has little to do with what kind of alcohol you drink, how long you have been drinking, or even exactly how much you drink.

Vulnerability to alcoholism can be inherited, but doctors still do not know what causes alcohol addiction.

Alcohol addiction affects people from every type of background, but here are several characteristics that can increase the risk that a person will develop alcoholism. These are known in the scientific community as “risk factors.”

“Binge Drinking” defined as five or more drinks in a sitting for men and four for women, can increase chances of developing alcohol addiction.

Alcohol addiction is a disease, which is why most alcoholics can’t stop using “willpower”

Alcohol addiction: Signs of a problem

There are some simple signs to understanding addiction and determining if you are an alcoholic:

  1. Does your drinking cause problems in your life?
  2. These can be legal, financial, moral, or spiritual.
  3. Do you make promises to yourself or others about quitting or cutting down on drinking and then break them?
  4. Do you lie about drinking or try to hide the amount you drink?
  5. Do you avoid social situations that don’t involve alcohol?
  6. Do you have a high tolerance for alcohol?
  7. Do you ever use alcohol first thing in the morning to get rid of hangover symptoms or avoid the shakes?
  8. Have you ever “blacked out” or forgotten things you did while you were drunk?

Alcohol Addiction: Intervention

Sometimes when an alcoholic’s problems reach a crisis stage, the family must seek a professional intervention. An intervention comes down to confronting the alcoholic with how his or her drinking has affected the people around them. The alcoholics friends, families, and employers tell the alcoholic how his or her drinking has become a problem in their lives.

Interventions should be carefully planned and developed by a professional substance abuse counselor. If they are done haphazardly, they can be counterproductive. The goal of an intervention is to get the alcoholic to go into a treatment program.

Alcohol Addiction: Treatment

Alcoholism is a treatable disease and there are many programs available to help and support an alcoholic that has decided to get help. Thousands of facilities in the United States offer alcohol and drug rehabilitation and treatment services, ranging from short-term residential or in-patient hospitalization to long-term, outpatient counseling and therapy. The goal of these facilities is to help the alcoholic learn how to remain sober and resist the urge to drink.

Sources: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alcoholism/DS00340

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=52888&page=2

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Alcohol Abuse Among The Elderly

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Alcohol Abuse Among The Elderly

Alcohol Abuse Among The Elderly

Alcohol related problems put elderly people in the hospital more often than heart attacks. But alcohol abuse among the elderly is more hidden that in any other age group because of social isolation, loneliness and depression. Often the signs of alcohol abuse among the elderly mimic other signs of aging, so doctors misread the signs.

Alcohol Abuse Among The Elderly: Causes

Alcohol abuse among the elderly sometimes starts with the life changes that can accompany aging. Many older Americans develop drinking problems due to depression, illness, or death of a loved one.  The death of a spouse can set off a cycle of depression, poor nutrition, alcohol abuse, and abusing medications. The incentives for a younger person to seek help are often not there for an older person. They don’t have the same motivation to recover.

Alcohol Abuse Among The Elderly: A hidden problem

Anyone at any age can have a drinking problem. Sometimes, alcohol abuse among the elderly goes unnoticed because the person has been drinking moderately their whole life, and their family does not notice when their drinking suddenly increases. Forgetfulness, loss of balance, and mood swings that may indicate alcohol abuse among the elderly can be chalked up to old age or other health problems.

Alcohol Abuse Among The Elderly: Why it is dangerous?

Alcohol abuse among the elderly deserves particular attention because the aging process affects how the body handles alcohol. The same amount of drinks can have a greater effect as a person gets older. Also, many older Americans take prescription medications on a regular basis. Their medication can interact with the alcohol and cause dangerous, even deadly, side effects. Some medical conditions that are common among older people, such as high blood pressure, ulcers, and diabetes, can get worse with alcohol use.

Even drinking a small amount of alcohol can impair judgment and reaction time leading to an increase in accidents and falls. Accidents and falls in elderly people can be particularly dangerous since their bones are often more prone to break and they don’t recover as quickly from injuries. Alcohol abuse among the elderly can also cause cancer, liver cirrhosis, and brain damage. Alcohol also affects blood sugar levels in elderly people with diabetes.

Alcohol Abuse Among The Elderly: Getting help

Doctors may be hesitant to confront an elderly person about alcohol abuse. Many of them consider it to be a sensitive issue. Elderly people are also less likely to disclose alcohol abuse to their doctor. Also, there are far fewer treatment programs for elderly people with alcoholism, so doctors may not know where to send patients for help. An elderly person may have a hard time at a traditional treatment program since many of the clients are much younger. A 75 year old alcohol abuser may have a hard time relating to a 20 year old cocaine addict.

However, if they do seek help, elderly people often do very well in treatment. The hard part is long term recovery once they are home and alone again.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Drinker’s Remorse

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Drinker's Remorse

Drinker’s Remorse

“Ugh, I am never drinking again.” I say as I touch my fingers to my throbbing temples. “It’s just not worth it.”

I must’ve said those words a hundred times over in my drinking career. The guilt, shame, and/or physical discomfort would keep me away from booze for a couple of days, but inevitably, I’d be back at it again the next weekend. Eventually, my drinking landed me in rehab and then in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous, but that’s a different story for a different day.

That feeling I had, I learned later, is known as drinker’s remorse, and it’s pretty common amongst binge drinkers. Binge drinking is defined as having 4 or more drinks in one sitting for women, or 5 or more for men. Drinker’s remorse comes from the either regretting what you did while you we’re wasted, or regretting you drank enough to give you a wicked hangover.

My worst feelings of drinker’s remorse would come when I either remembered something awful I had done while drinking or someone else reminded me of something awful I had done. I’d wake up and think, “Oh shit! What did I do last night?” while frantically trying to piece together the events of the night before. Other times, I’d wake up and be peacefully unaware that anything was amiss, because I had “blacked out” while drinking.  That is, until a friend would call to remind me, and the awful memories would come flooding back. Or until the random guy I had gone home with would turn over in bed and make me aware of his presence. Or I would look at my phone and see who I called or texted while I was wasted.

I hated that feeling of drinker’s remorse. I felt like my heart had dropped into my stomach. My brain would frantically race through thoughts like:

“How bad was I?”

“Did everyone see?”

“Can I sneak this guy out of my apartment before my roommates wake up?”

“Do I still have friends?”

“Do I still have a job?”

and finally

“FUCK!”

The main difference between me and my non-alcoholic friends is that they would have one or two of these mornings of drinker’s remorse, and then they would learn their lesson. They wouldn’t drink that way again. I never learned my lesson. No matter how many times I woke up with drinker’s remorse, no matter how many times I would promise that I would cut down or quit drinking all together, I would be back in the same place a couple of weeks later.

In my experience, drinker’s remorse can be cured in one of three ways:

1. Exercise (In fact, people who exercise regularly get drinker’s remorse less frequently)

2. More liquor (Not always the best choice, but that didn’t stop me!)

3. Resolving the issue you regret (This can’t always be done, but if you can apologize or make up for something you regret, this is the best cure for drinker’s remorse.)

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Rohypnol – Date Rape Drug

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Rohypnol is one of the most well-known “date rape drugs.” Street names for the drug include rophies, roofies, R2, roofenol, Roche, roach-2, roaches, la rocha, rop, roopies, ropies, rib, circles, Mexican valium, the forget Pill, trip-and-fall, and mind-erasers. Rohypnol is the brand name of the drug flunitrazepam (a benzodiazepine). Benzodiazepines are a class of drug which is commonly used in a number of medical settings. Most commonly used as anti-anxiety medications, they are also used as sedatives, as anticonvulsant medications, and as muscle relaxants.

Benzodiazepines like Rohypnol are used as date rape drugs because they can markedly impair functions that normally allow a person to resist sexual aggression or assault. Also, Rohypnol commonly causes drug induced short term amnesia, especially when mixed with alcohol. These properties make Rohypol effective in drug-facilitated sexual assaults. Victims are unable to ward off an attack, and they are also unable to remember the date rape or the rapist. Rohypnol also rose to prominence as an ideal date rape drug because it is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and easily dissolved. It causes sedation within 20 to 30 minutes. After the reports of Rohypnol being used as a date rape drug began flooding in, the manufacturer added elements that make it less easy to dissolve and added a blue coloring to the drug.

It’s difficult to estimate how often Rohypnol has been used as a date rape drug, because by the time biological fluids are tested for the substance, there are only residual traces of the drug in the system.  Most standard drug tests are not sensitive enough register the presence of the date rape drug in the system. Usually, the bodily fluids must be tested within 72 hours to reveal the presence of the date rape drug. The problem is compounded because date rape victims often have a difficult time remembering the circumstances surrounding the rape. The uncertainty may cause a delay in the reporting the rape.

Often, in cases of date rape, Rohypnol is dissolved in a glass of alcohol, unbeknownst to the victim. Alcohol intensifies the effects of the date rape drug, because they act on the same receptors in the brain. Benzodiazepines like Rohypnol work by enhancing the effect of the neurotransmitter GABA in the brain. The enhancement is responsible for producing the therapeutic effects of Rohypnol s and for facilitating many of the side effects as well as dependence and withdrawal from these drugs. Other sedative-hypnotics, such as alcohol and barbiturates, have a similar enhancing effect on GABA. This is why benzodiazepines are often used to treat alcohol withdrawal. It is also the reason that mixing Rohypnol with alcohol or barbiturates intensifies the hypnotic and amnesia-causing effect of the date rape drug and can even be deadly.

Rohypnol is not available in the United States legally.  It has not been approved by the DEA for sale with a prescription. In Europe and South America, it is a prescription drug used as a preanesthetic agent and as a potent sedative. Rohypnol is still available in the United States illicitly. It is imported from countries where it is still available with a prescription.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Hand Sanitizer Alcohol Abuse

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Hand Sanitizer Alcohol Abuse

By Jenny Hunt

California authorities have noticed a shocking new trend in teenagers looking to get a quick high: Hand Sanitizer Alcohol Abuse. In the last week, at least six teens have checked in to LA area hospitals after allegedly imbibing hand sanitizer to get drunk. Hand sanitizer alcohol abuse has become the newest way for teens to get wasted.

Hand sanitizer alcohol abuse has gained popularity because it’s easily obtained by underage drinkers, is relatively cheap, and has very high alcohol content. The high alcohol content is part of the danger of hand sanitizer alcohol abuse. Hand sanitizers have alcohol concentrations of up to 70 percent—that’s 140 proof, whereas most liquors-whiskey, vodka, and gin, have a concentration of 45 percent alcohol (80 proof.) Often, teens engaging in hand sanitizer alcohol abuse down shots of the gooey liquid without realizing how much stronger it is. By the time the alcohol is metabolized, they have drunk far more than they realized. The accessability of the Internet has propelled hand sanitizer alcohol abuse as teens are finding recipes online to help make hand sanitizer more palatable. Some teens are mixing the gel with salt to break it down to a liquid.

 

Hand sanitizer alcohol abuse is just the latest development in bizarre teen drug use which includes vodka tampons and semi-legal synthetic drugs such as synthetic cannabis (“spice” or “K2) and bath salts. Both the risky behavior of teens and the danger of such drug use could be traced back to adolescent brain development. A recent study determined that brain development is not fully complete until age 25. Before the brain fully develops, it lacks the connections that allow reasoned decision making. This is why teens have poor impulse control and are somewhat lacking in common sense.

The fact that a teen’s brain and body has not fully developed makes hand sanitizer alcohol abuse and other forms of underage drinking more dangerous. Underage drinking can affect the brain’s development. Subtle changes in the brain may be difficult to detect but still have a significant impact on long-term thinking and memory skills. Underage drinking can also cause liver damage, especially if the teen is overweight or obese. In addition, drinking alcohol prior to or during puberty may upset the critical hormonal balance necessary for normal development of organs, muscles, and bones.

Some parents and school officials have made an effort to limit the availability of alcohol based hand sanitizer in homes and schools. However, hand sanitizer alcohol abuse isn’t that different from other types of teen substance abuse and the best way to combat it is with an open discussion. Unfortunately, more than a quarter of parents with teenage children have never had a discussion with them about alcohol or drug use. Parents are urged to be clear, firm and consistent when discouraging their teen from underage drinking and engaging in these risky new “legal” ways to get high. drug. Parents should also assure their teen that they will not be alone in turning down drugs and alcohol. In fact, teen alcohol abuse is on the decline nationally. Talking with your children early and often about hand sanitizer alcohol abuse can make a difference. It’s best to instill an open door policy about drugs and alcohol with your children.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.