• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Troubled Teens

  • Home
  • Submit Questions
  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap
    • Disclaimer
    • Privacy Policy

Do You “Need a Drink”? Think About Your Teen, First (Part 1)

Last updated on January 26, 2017 by TT Staff Leave a Comment

drinking from stressIf you’re over 21, it’s legal for you to imbibe. So why shouldn’t you? There are actually some pretty good reasons why you should consider setting aside your legal rights, especially if you’re a parent of a teen.

Principles in Favor of Alcohol Use

Even within the church, it seems we’re more “enlightened” these days, realizing that there’s no absolute, iron-clad “thou shalt not” against a glass of wine with dinner, or the like. After all, even the great Apostle Paul told his protégé, Timothy, to take a little wine “for his stomach’s sake,” (1 Timothy 5:22) — and he was a minister!

Even in the listing of qualifications in 1 Timothy 3, the main issue seems to be alcohol dependence or drunkenness, not just that innocent glass of wine. In fact, Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine! Surely, that indicates divine approval (John 2:1-11). While some Christians contest that the “wine” of Bible times had little-to-no alcoholic content, many scholars disagree.

Add to the above ideas, the idea of stewarding our bodies wisely, and many see it as significant that new research show many health benefits of drinking red wine with every meal.

Well, scientists are now saying that the health benefits have been “overhyped”; in fact, Mayo Clinic’s top-notch doctors “are wary of encouraging anyone to start drinking alcohol. That’s because too much alcohol can have many harmful effects on your body.”

teen guys drinking alcoholic beveragesPotential Problems of Under-Age Drinking

If even physicians see the potential benefits of wine as marginal, compared to the well-known harmful effects associated with alcohol, isn’t that worth consideration? In 2006, it was estimated that 5,000 young people under age 21 succumb to alcohol-related deaths each year. The leading causes of these deaths are motor vehicle crashes (1,900) and homicides (1,600). Other alcohol-related deaths take the form of suicide and other injuries.

Even those who do survive under-age drinking are seldom unscathed by its destructive effects. It seems that the general principles of Scripture ring true: wine — or any alcoholic beverage — has negative effects, such as encouraging violence and deceptively leading to all kinds of ungodly lifestyle elements and hardships (Proverbs 20:1).

sad teen girl In fact, young people who drink are more likely to engage in or experience the following negative behaviors or situations:

• Sexual activity and unprotected sex
• Fights and violent crimes
• Academic failure
• Use of other drugs
• Verbal, physical, or sexual abuse

In addition, those who begin drinking before age 15 are 5 times more likely to succumb to alcohol addiction later in life. And the health risks for adults who are alcohol dependent are many, including long-lasting effects on the endocrine system, liver, and brain. When alcohol interrupts the normal development of a young person’s body, all kinds of physical growth — from bone health to thinking skills — can be compromised.

Continue reading with Part 2.

Filed Under: Addictions, Family

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Struggling with Your Teen?

Have a question about something you're facing with your teenage son or daughter? Ask us! Just click here and share your question.

Boarding School Reviews

Get your boarding school or youth residential treatment program reviewed here. Looking for a marketing agency? Contact us.

Popular Posts

  • Causes of Sexual Promiscuity in Teens
  • Controversy Surrounds "Bully" Movie
  • The Risks of Sexual Promiscuity in Teens
  • Signs and Symptoms of Huffing
  • Teens and Rape Victim Blame

Recent Articles

  • Teen Shoplifting
  • Is Scripture Irrelevant to Contemporary Teens?
  • Fostering Academic Success at Home: Structuring Study Schedules and Spaces, Part 2
  • Underage Drinking: More of a Problem Than You May Think
  • Communication Overload
  • Combating Teen Obesity
  • What Technology Reveals About Today’s Teens, Part 2
  • What’s Your Excuse? Don’t Pretend, Be Real
  • Why “Fifty Shades” Is Dangerous (For You and Your Teen)
  • Parents: Look to Hollywood Movies for Parenting Tips

Reader Feedback

  • Tara on Causes of Sexual Promiscuity in Teens
  • TNH on Causes of Sexual Promiscuity in Teens
  • Sharaaz Khan on Causes of Sexual Promiscuity in Teens
  • Dionne Duarte on Causes of Sexual Promiscuity in Teens
  • Clarice A. on Teen Bedwetting
  • Margaret Campbell on Causes of Sexual Promiscuity in Teens
  • Elizabeth on The Sexting Problem
  • Lisa Arquette on Handling Hard Questions: Having Empathy for the Ache
  • L. C. H. on 3 Reminders for Dealing with Rebellious Teens
  • Peter D'Angelo on Which Kids Stay in the Church?

Copyright © 2023 TroubledTeens.biz · All Rights Reserved