Teen drinking: who's to blame?

Hollywood actor Drew Barrymore was a full-blown alcoholic at 12 and in rehab at 15. It was shocking at that time, even by Hollywood standards. Closer home, teen alcoholism is not shocking anymore.
Some teens say that it is their parents who gave them their first taste of alcohol. Alok Nath, a teen counsellor says, “We can’t blame teenagers for the problem when it is adults who are providing the alcohol to them.�
Avinash, 15, says when he was six years old, “My parents gave me wine on New Year’s eve and I liked the taste.� He gulped down a few extra glasses of wine when his parents weren’t looking.“At 11, my cousins gave me my first taste of beer. Again it was just a sip. Beer was stocked in our house because my dad enjoys a beer on Sundays. Every now and then I would help myself,� says Avinash. Today, when he goes out with friends Avinash orders a beer, instead of a cold drink.
His father, a successful businessperson is fully aware of his son’s habit. “I did the same thing when I was a kid, I haven’t turned into an alcoholic,� he argues. “I am sure 95 per cent of the male population did it when they were teenagers. As long as my son does not go overboard, I am fine with him having an occasional beer. Anyway, the minute I turn authoritative and stop him from drinking, he will become rebellious and might even drink more.�
It is impossible to say whether Avinash will turn into an alcoholic in the future. “Alcoholism is a disease,� says Ramesh, a reformed alcoholic. “My father wanted to educate me when he invited me to have my first drink with him. He told me about the ill-effects of alcohol and advised me never to over-drink. But that didn’t stop me from becoming an alcoholic.� Ramesh is all for educating one’s children about alcohol, but is strictly against allowing teenagers to drink. At least before they turn 18. “As a parent you have the right to take disciplinary action.�
Chandrashekar, father of two teenaged boys, feels disciplinary measures will only have adverse effects. “If I tell my son not to drink, he might say yes, go out with friends, have a drink and not even tell me about it. Punishment might elicit the same response. So it is better to allow them to drink in front of you, at least you can keep an eye on them.�
Victor, a counsellor, disagrees: “Here, parents are not dealing with the problem they are only accommodating the problem. You need to inculcate a sense of discipline. You have to tell your children that they will have to abide by the rules of the house.� Ramesh feels children drink because of peer pressure and a sense of adventure. “Give them alternative things to do such as involving them in theatre, adventure sports etc, which stimulates endorphin and serotonin in the brain, for that’s what happens when you drink alcohol.�
Today, Drew Barrymoore is a successful actor, producer and director and a teetotaler. At 15, somebody showed her an alternative. And that’s what our teens need too.
(Names have been changed to protect identities)