Dante was a seventeen year old high school senior who was displaying several alcohol-related issues at school. As a result, the principal told him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school counselor, before he would be permitted to return to class.

Later that day when Dante went home after school, he had to go over his school expulsion with his Mom and Dad. His parents were “fairly old-fashioned” and explained to Dante that getting discharged from school was not a tolerable educational plan of action. They informed Dante that failing to graduate from high school would most probably be like a lead weight around his feet that could conceivably encumber his educational achievement for the remainder of his life. Not only this, but Dante’s Mother and Father were very troubled that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his pals in the second.

His Mom and Dad informed Dante that even though he may be a teen, he needs to realize without much delay that drinking is the pathway to financial problems, failure, pain, and ill health.

It was obvious that his Mother and Father were completely in concurrence with Dante’s principal and explained to Dante that he had better come to the understanding that he needs to see Miss Johnson, the school therapist. After his discussion with his Mom and Dad, Dante at long last agreed to see Miss Johnson the next day. So Dante called the school and scheduled an appointment to see Miss Johnson the next day during his first period class.

The Counselor Asks Dante if He Understands Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Behavior Caused Quite a Bit of Concern By the School Administrators

When Dante arrived at his scheduled appointment with Miss Johnson, she promptly examined all of the alcohol-related problems Dante had gotten into and asked him if he comprehended why his recent alcohol-related actions made the school administrators uneasy.

Quite frankly, Dante was not sure why the principal informed him that he had to see a school psychologist. As he stated to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional counselor about his drinking activities? Because almost all of his pals drink as much if not more than he does, fundamentally, drinking shouldn’t be such a big deal. Stated more forcefully, if almost everyone is drinking, why is this such a major issue?

Miss Johnson asked Dante when he started to drink. He said that some of his older pals introduced him to drinking hard liquor when he was twelve or thirteen years old and getting ready to enter junior high school.

Miss Johnson explained to Dante that while his friends may in fact drink more than he does and that they may be an unhealthy 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 peers. What is more, Miss Johnson also underscored the fact that Dante, and not his classmates, is the one who is failing and who is missing one day of class every week because of his alcohol related issues. Finally, Miss Johnson underscored the fact that because of his drinking activities, Dante is getting into a damaging cycle of abusive drinking that can finally ruin his hopes, dreams and aspirations.

In short, Dante’s involvement with youth alcohol abuse was beginning to foil his ability to behave like an accountable young man. As articulated by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your friends drink wine coolers, beer, hard liquor, or wine does not mean that it is the appropriate behavior for you.”

Dante Learns That Sooner or Later He Must Be Responsible For Himself In Order to Prevent Damaging, Destructive, Unhealthy, and Dangerous Circumstances In the Future

Miss Johnson informed Dante that one’s buddies can definitely influence a person in an unhealthy manner, but that the individual herself or himself has to ultimately claim responsibility for herself or himself in order to avert damaging, unhealthy, destructive, and dangerous situations down the road.

Luckily, Miss Johnson was extremely well prepared for her appointment with Dante. She showed him research studies and reports she had highlighted that summarized diverse drinking facts and statistics that applied to most people in general. Then she showed Dante quite a lot of information that applied especially to teenagers.

For example, Miss Johnson highlighted the difference between alcohol abuse and alcoholism and informed Dante that drinkers who continue to drink in a hazardous manner more often than not become alcohol dependent.

Miss Johnson also articulated the concept of binge drinking that she defined as follows: consuming five or more drinks in one sitting for males and drinking four or more drinks in one sitting for females.

The Psychologist Conveys Numerous Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Statistics and Facts

Then Miss Johnson articulated various alcohol facts and the following eight alcohol abuse statistics:

1. Alcohol is a factor in around fifty percent of America’s accidental deaths, murders, and suicides.

2. Alcohol-related accidents are the leading cause of fatalities among teens.

3. Each year in the United States, nearly 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die due to underage drinking. This includes almost 1,900 fatalities from motor vehicle crashes.

4. Research has demonstrated that U.S. adolescents who drink alcohol are 50 times more likely to use cocaine than teenagers who never ingest alcohol.

5. Approximately 1,700 college students in the U.S. lose their lives annually–approximately 4.65 per day–because of alcohol-related injuries.

6. In 2005, 2.1 million American college students between the ages of 18 and 24 stated that they involve themselves in driving under the influence of alcohol.

7. The World Health Organization estimates that nearly 76 million individuals throughout the world suffer from alcohol-related disorders.

8. As demonstrated by recent alcohol abuse studies, it has been learned that almost 53% of the adults in the United States have stated that one or more of their close relatives is addicted to alcohol or is an alcohol abuser.

Dante Gets A Much Needed Primer on the Facts Regarding the Short Term and the Long Term Effects of Underage Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Addiction

After Miss Johnson presented the aforementioned alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse statistics and facts, it was clear that what Miss Johnson taught Dante was a real source of discovery for him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only took the time to put in plain words the short term and the long term outcomes of alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse, but she also made the effort to authenticate what she was saying with alcohol abuse and alcoholism facts and statistics that related to everybody in general, and chiefly to teenagers.

As a matter of fact, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante immediately realized why he should not be engaging in abusive and hazardous drinking with or without his buddies anymore. Dante thanked Miss Johnson for her concern and for the information she discussed.

Miss Johnson then asked Dante how he felt about getting a physical examination and an alcohol appraisal for the alcohol rehabilitation he would probably need.

Dante thought about this for a minute and then agreed to get a comprehensive physical examination and to go through an extensive evaluation of his drinking behavior so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcoholism treatment program in a reasonable time frame.






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