Larry was a sixteen year old high school junior who was manifesting several alcohol-related issues at school. As a result, the principal informed him that he had to see Miss Johns, the school therapist, before he would be permitted to come back to school.

Later that afternoon when Larry went home after school, he had to go over his school expulsion with his Mom and Dad. His Mom and Dad were “fairly old-style” and informed Larry that getting thrown out of school was not an acceptable educational plan of action. They explained to Larry that failing to graduate from high school would more likely than not be like a lead weight around his legs that could probably mar his educational aspirations for the rest of his adult life. Not only this, but Larry’s Mother and Father were quite dissatisfied that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his buddies in the second.

His Mother and Father told Larry that even though he may be young, he has to understand fairly promptly that drinking is the path to pain, ill health, financial problems, and failure.

It was apparent that his Mother and Father were completely in agreement with Larry’s principal and informed Larry that he had better come to the understanding that he needs to see Miss Johns, the school counselor. After his discussion with his Mother and Father, Larry in the end agreed to see Miss Johns the next day. So Larry phoned the school and scheduled an appointment to see Miss Johns the next afternoon.

The Psychologist Asks Larry if He Understands Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Activities Made the School Administrators Uneasy

When Larry got to his scheduled appointment with Miss Johns, she immediately surveyed all of the alcohol-related difficulties Larry had experienced and asked him if he knew why his recent alcohol-related behavior signaled such alarm.

Quite honestly, Larry questioned why the principal explained to him that he had to see a school psychologist. As he expressed to Miss Johns, why should he see a professional psychologist about his drinking situation? Due to the fact that virtually all of his peers drink as much if not more than he does, basically, drinking shouldn’t be such a big issue. Stated differently, if just about everyone is drinking, why is this such a major issue?

Miss Johns asked Larry when he started to drink alcoholic beverages. He said that some of his older classmates introduced him to drinking beer when he was twelve or thirteen years old and between the sixth and seventh grades.

Miss Johns told Larry that while his friends may in fact drink more than he does and that they may be a bad influence on him, the facts are that he is the one who is getting removed from school due to alcohol-related delinquency, absenteeism, and fighting, not his pals. Not only this but Miss Johns also highlighted the fact that Larry, and not his buddies, is the one who is failing and who is missing at least one day of class per week because of his alcohol related difficulties. Finally, Miss Johns stressed the fact that due to his drinking behavior, Larry is getting into a harmful cycle of hazardous drinking that can finally destroy his life.

In a word, Larry’s involvement with adolescent alcohol abuse was beginning to foil his ability to function as an accountable young man. As verbalized by Miss Johns, “Just because most of your peers drink beer, hard liquor, wine coolers, or wine does not mean that it is the best thing to do for you.”

Larry Learns That In the End He Must Be Responsible For Himself In Order to Keep Away From Unhealthy, Destructive, Damaging, and Dangerous Consequences In the Future

Miss Johns explained to Larry that one’s pals can without a doubt influence an individual in a negative way, but that the individual himself or herself has to in time take responsibility for himself or herself in order to stay away from unhealthy, destructive, damaging, and dangerous outcomes in the foreseeable future.

Luckily, Miss Johns was very well equipped for her meeting with Larry. She showed him reports and research studies she had highlighted that summarized various drinking facts and statistics that targeted most people in general. Then she showed Larry quite a bit of data that applied mainly to underage drinkers.

For example, Miss Johns stressed the difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction and explained to Larry that drinkers who continue to drink in a hazardous manner habitually become dependent on alcohol.

Miss Johns also went over the concept of binge drinking which she defined as follows: drinking five or more drinks in one sitting for males and consuming four or more drinks in one sitting for females.

The Psychologist Verbalizes More Than a Few Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependency Statistics and Facts

Then Miss Johns stated the following eight alcoholism facts and alcohol abuse statistics:

1. As shown in one study, approximately 11% of 8th-graders, 22% of 10th-graders, and 27% of 12th-graders reported that they engaged in binge drinking.

2. Between 48% and 64% of the individuals who die in fires have blood alcohol levels indicating inebriation.

3. Children who are drinking alcohol by 7th grade are more likely to exhibit academic problems, substance use, and delinquent behavior in both high school and junior high school.

4. In the United States, 33% of all suicides, and 25% of all emergency room admissions are alcohol-related.

5. In the United States among drivers between the ages of 15 and 20, fatal crashes involving a single vehicle at night are three times more probable to be alcohol-related than to other fatal accidents.

6. In the U.S., more than 40 percent of the individuals who start drinking before the age of 13 will develop alcoholism or alcohol abuse at some time in their lives.

7. In the United States, by the time they are seniors in high school, 80% of high school students have tried alcohol and 62% have been intoxicated.

8. Treatment for alcoholism has been demonstrated to reduce criminal activity up to 80% among chronic offenders, has decreased their homelessness, increased their rate of employment, and reduced their health care costs.

Larry Receives A Relevant Wake Up Call About the Long Term and the Short Term Consequences of Underage Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse

After Miss Johns conveyed the aforementioned alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction facts and statistics, it was obvious that what Miss Johns disclosed to Larry was a real shock to him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only took the time to articulate the long term and the short term results of alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse, but she also made the effort to validate what she was saying with alcohol abuse and alcoholism statistics and facts that related to everyone in general, and chiefly to adolescents.

As a matter of fact, it was almost as if a light went on and Larry immediately understood why he should not be engaging in excessive and abusive drinking with or without his buddies any longer. Larry thanked Miss Johns for her concern and for the information she reviewed.

Miss Johns then asked Larry how he felt about getting a physical examination and an alcohol evaluation for the alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction rehabilitation he would probably need.

Larry thought about this for few minutes and then agreed to get an extensive physical and to go through a thorough evaluation of his drinking circumstances so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency treatment program right away.