Teens Do Not Fear The Problems That Come With Alcohol

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 27.6 percent of 12- to 20-year-olds in the U.S. consumed alcohol in the past month. The report showed that New England and the upper Midwest are areas of the country where underage drinking is extremely high. Underage drinking has had a hand in the deaths of many teenagers every year form drunk driving accidents. Naively, teens do not fear the problems that come with alcohol like they do the problems associated with drugs; this misconception is a large reason why teen continue to drink. The research is out there, we now know the serious health problems that accompany alcohol; yet, today's youth does not seem to heed the warnings for one reason or another.

Another major concern with underage drinking is the development of alcoholism at a young age. Countless people come into this world with a predisposition to drink alcohol that they inherited from someone in their family tree. The younger a person is when problems like these come to the surface, the harder it will be to quit when the time comes. There is no age limit to being an alcoholic; the disease of alcoholism does not discriminate. Alcoholism at a young age can be very difficult to discern, for some parents, the idea that their child could have an alcohol problem is unfathomable. Parents need to be vigilant and keep tabs on their children's activity so that if there is a problem it can be dealt with sooner rather than later. Ask Questions!

Federal Data:

• underage drinking rates were highest in North Dakota (40.6 percent) and Vermont (40.4 percent)
• underage drinking rates were lowest in Utah (13.7 percent)
• 8.6 percent of underage drinkers were able to purchase their own alcohol, 18.8 percent in Louisiana and the District of Columbia
• Underage drinkers in Alaska (3.1 percent) and New Mexico (3.7 percent) were the least likely to report buying their own booze.

The best thing a parent can do is talk to their kids about the dangers of alcohol, find news stories to provide examples that children can understand. There is no question, parents are the first line of defense against underage drinking; kids will look for guidance and they certainly model what they witness at home. Take a Stand!

Rolling Stones Guitarist and Wild Man of Rock-and-Roll, Given Up Alcohol

Rock n Roll and alcohol have a long history! Bands are notorious for excessive drinking and drugging, almost like consumption is part of their job description. Sadly, over the years since the birth of rock n roll alcohol has directly and indirectly taken the life of some of the most talented musicians. Rock legends such as: John Bonham of the band Led Zeppelin died as a result of asphyxiation, Jimi Hendrix died of respiratory arrest caused by alcohol and Barbiturates, and Keith Moon of the Who had an accidental overdose on anti-seizure medication prescribed for alcoholism. The list of drug related overdoses associated with rock n roll is pretty long; many addicts never experience the adverse effects of alcohol because drug overdoses claim their life first.

Unfortunately, when the music stops the addiction will linger around. Rock n Roll Stars in their 60's are still battling alcoholism and drug addiction. It has been reported by the Telegraph that, "Keith Richards, the Rolling Stones guitarist and wild man of rock-and-roll, has given up alcohol, it has been reported". Alcohol is finally catching up to Keith, who received orders from his physician to stop drinking and Richards has not touched alcohol in four months. Richards has witnessed the effect that alcohol has had on friend and former band mate Ronnie Wood's life. Richards claims that he has out lived many of the doctors who have advised him to stop drinking over the years. However, Keith Richards' behavior had an adverse effect on his life four years ago after falling out of a tree in Fiji while drunk, suffering a brain hemorrhage.

There are not any reports that Richards entered treatment or is working any kind of 12 step program. Hopefully, he will find that life is worth so much more while sober and that recovery is one gift after another. Without any doubt, Richards, has lost many close friends to the disease of alcoholism and doesn't want the same for himself. "He has watched Ronnie fall well and truly off the wagon last year and he doesn't like what he sees. Plus he has started to feel for the first time like it might do him some good to give up the booze for a while".

My Name is Roger, and I'm an alcoholic

I would like to share with you my thoughts about a Blog post that Roger Ebert did a few days ago that I found to be quite intriguing and informative. It's not every day that people in the spotlight decide to discuss their struggles with Alcoholism and their journey towards recovery outside of the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous. Roger Ebert has not had a drink in 30 years and thought that perhaps sharing a little bit of his experience without going into a full on "Drunkalog" might help some body work towards starting their own journey towards recovery. As Ebert says: "You may be wondering, in fact, why I'm violating the A.A. policy of anonymity and outing myself. A.A. is anonymous not because of shame but because of prudence; people who go public with their newly-found sobriety have an alarming tendency to relapse". Ebert conservatively opens the doors of Alcoholics Anonymous to the outside world and gives people a glimpse of what it is about and how it might be able to help. I believe that he very carefully goes about his post in order to not break the principles set forth by A.A.

Let's face it, there is a lot of social stigmas regarding A.A. and many people refer to it as a religion or a cult. Roger Ebert attempts to clear up some of those ideas regarding the program, "A "cult?" How can that be, when it's free, nobody profits and nobody is in charge? A.A. is an oral tradition reaching back to that first meeting between Bill W. and Doctor Bob in the lobby of an Akron hotel. They'd tried psychiatry, the church, the Cure. Maybe, they thought, drunks can help each other, and pass it along. A.A. has spread to every continent and into countless languages, and remains essentially invisible. I was dumbfounded to discover there was a meeting all along right down the hall from my desk".

A.A. helps those people who want to be helped, it is not a program of idea pushers and there is no one way to work a program; if it works for you, than it works and nobody is going to tell you that you are working the program the wrong way. It is a collective of similar minds with similar problems, all working towards one common goal - Don't drink no matter what!

Roger Ebert in my opinion rather beautifully discusses his experience upon arriving at the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous and talks a little bit about the serenity that he found once he became a member. Without breaking peoples' anonymity he talks about some of the people he met and who helped him see things a little more clearly along the way. Alcoholism is not something you manage on your own and if that were the case there would be no need for such a program; people find strength to not pick up their next drink inside the rooms of recovery and it may seem simple and that is because it is a simple program based on 12 steps that one can live their life by.

"'Everybody's story is the same,' Humble Howard liked to say. 'We drank too much, we came here, we stopped, and here we are to tell the tale.' Before I went to my first meeting, I imagined the drunks would sit around telling drinking stories. Or perhaps they would all be depressing and solemn and holier-than-thou. I found out you rarely get to be an alcoholic by being depressing and solemn and holier-than-thou. These were the same people I drank with, although now they were making more sense", relates Ebert.

I encourage everyone to read Roger Ebert's post: My Name is Roger, and I'm an Alcoholic because it is a very enlightening piece from one man's lips about millions of people's experiences. I would love to hear your thoughts...

Alcoholic Gary Reinbach Dead at 22 After Transplant Refused

So sad, the news that came my way this morning, a 22 year-old's plea for a transplant was refused. Alcoholic Gary Reinbach dead at 22 after transplant refused while at University College Hospital in London. This is a troubling story, which I read on Times Online, of the ethics in the health care system on a global level; unfortunately, this is not a new story, nor one that we will not hear again. How a 22 year kid could be refused a liver transplant, despite his alcoholism, has to make you wonder: Is the donor organ system flawed?

Gary Reinbach started drinking at a very young age, a product of a broken home in Essex, England. Nine years later he would be diagnosed and admitted to the hospital for an alcohol related illness for the first time. He was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver which is a fatal disorder that requires a liver transplant. The catch 22 is that in order for an alcoholic to receive a transplant they must demonstrate that the have been sober for 6 months; an impossible feat for a patient that does not have 6 months to live. Gary's doctors and his family went public making an appeal for the rules to be waived. But, despite their appeal Reinbach died less than 48 hours after it was issued; he died only 10 weeks after being admitted. This is unacceptable on multiple fronts for the fact is that people who suffer from the disease of alcoholism get less of an opportunity to receive proper health care than other diseases; do they make obese people swear they will stop overeating before they are given an insulin pump? Alcoholism is a disease that is far from understood by the masses of people who believe that alcoholics simply lack will power and that is why they continue to drink.

It is fair to say that if Gary were granted the transplant he would have had the opportunity to re-evaluate things and at least had one second chance to better his life. Sadly, this is not the case and the rules for donor organs do not leave room for exceptions; cutting people's lives short because people do not understand the disease concept of addiction. It is understandable that a repeat offender, someone in and out of hospitals for multiple years, does not receive a transplant; but, Gary was not one of those people, nor was he given the chance to prove that to be true.

My deepest sympathy and compassion goes out to Gary Reinbach's family. My greatest hope is that he did not die in vain and that his story will convince policy makers that a change needs to be made. Please share your thoughts with me on this subject as I will be glad to hear other's opinions. This story deeply pains my heart!