Surveys show that about 80% of young Canadians have reported drinking alcohol in the past year. These are teens 15 years or older. One of the factors of underage drinking is peer pressure. Teens may feel like they have to drink to be like their friends or older siblings. When things go too far, they may need alcohol addiction treatment.
Our experienced staff at Venture Academy understands the impact that peer pressure can have on teens. We are here to help young people circumvent the influences of their peers and get them on the road to recovery with our alcohol addiction treatment program. Learn more about how we can help by calling 866.762.2211.
Peer Pressure and Alcohol
When it comes to peer pressure, alcohol may be one of the first substances a teen tries. One of the main concerns is the relation of peer pressure to alcoholism. Studies show that peer pressure is one of the contributors to underage drinking and the beginnings of alcoholism. Because of the overwhelming desire of teens to fit in, it is easy for one thing to lead to another.
What’s also concerning about peer pressure and alcohol is what happens when a child doesn’t yield to peer pressure. Some possibilities include:
- Verbal abuse – One of the ways peers get others to do what they want is because they will verbally abuse someone to get them to do what they want. Teens that hold out against their peers may eventually succumb because they don’t want to be berated by their friends.
- Physical abuse – Peers may violently react when someone doesn’t do what they want them to do.
- Teen pregnancy – A rising rate of teen pregnancy is attributed to peer pressure and alcohol. Alcohol reduces inhibition and causes situations where teens may do things that they wouldn’t normally do, such as engage in unprotected sex.
Alarmingly, those aren’t even all of the dangers of peer pressure.
The Dangers of Peer Influence
Other dangers that peer pressure and alcohol can produce include:
- Alcohol-induced brain damage – Alcohol is a depressant, and it slows the functioning of the central nervous system. Young people are at a higher risk for negative impacts from drinking because it affects functions such as decision-making, motivation, emotion, reward, and risk-taking behaviours. Consequently, this makes teens susceptible to alcohol-induced brain damage.
- Alcohol-related accidents – While young people are already prone to accidents, consuming alcohol increases this risk. An alarming statistic about motor vehicle crashes is that it is the leading cause of death among young people in Canada. The age range this applies to is 16-25-year-olds. Alcohol and drug impairment is a factor in over half of deadly crashes.
- Assaults and mental health disorders – Sadly, over-consumption of alcohol by teenagers also leaves them vulnerable to assaults, sexual coercion, and mental health issues. Some mental health disorders of note are depression and self-harm. Studies note that this is because alcohol impairs judgment, reasoning, and the ability to evaluate risk.
How Can Venture Academy Help?
At Venture Academy, we have a treatment program for drug and alcohol addiction. Progression through the program depends on the client and their willingness, motivation, and movement towards identified goals.
The drug and alcohol treatment program starts with assessment and detox. Then, the client moves on to treatment planning. This is a developmental stage with the end goal of an individualized therapeutic treatment plan.
Next, your teen moves on to intensive treatment services. These services include individual therapy and group skill-building sessions. In these sessions, a variety of things about the client are addressed. Ultimately, the focus of this stage is abstinence planning and making healthy choices.
Lastly, the client moves on to transition planning. At this phase, the client is now focused on an individualized relapse prevention plan where we take all of the skills the client acquires and apply them back to the home environment.
Seek Alcohol Addiction Treatment for Your Teen at Venture Academy
If you would like to learn more about how Venture Academy can help your teen stand up to peer pressure and overcome substance use disorder, call us at 866.762.2211 or complete our online form. Our team is ready to help your teen can back on the right track.
