Larry was a seventeen year old high school senior who was exhibiting a number of alcohol-related issues at school. For that reason, the principal explained to him that he had to see Miss Johns, the school therapist, before he would be allowed to return to school.

Later that afternoon when Larry went home after school, he had to go over his school situation with his Mom and Dad. His Mom and Dad were “relatively conservative” and told Larry that getting thrown out of school was not a feasible educational game plan. They told Larry that failing to graduate from high school would likely be like a lead weight around his legs that may impair his educational achievement for the remainder of his adult life. In addition, Larry’s Mom and Dad were extremely dismayed that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his peers in the second.

His parents informed Larry that even though he may be an adolescent, he has to comprehend fairly promptly that drinking is the pathway to financial problems, ill health, failure, and pain.

It was clear that his parents were absolutely in agreement with Larry’s principal and told Larry that he had better make up his mind to see Miss Johns, the school psychologist. After his dialogue with his Mother and Father, Larry eventually agreed to see Miss Johns the next school day. So Larry phoned the school and scheduled an appointment to see Miss Johns the next day during his second period class.

The Counselor Asks Larry if He Knows Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Behavior Made the School Administrators Uneasy

When Larry went to see Miss Johns, she at once surveyed all of the alcohol-related issues Larry had gotten into and asked him if he knew why his recent alcohol-related actions gave the school administrators room for alarm.

Quite frankly, Larry was unsure why the principal explained to him that he had to see a school therapist. As he stated to Miss Johns, why should he see a professional counselor about his drinking circumstances? Since virtually all of his peers drink about as much as he does, primarily, drinking shouldn’t be such a big deal. Stated differently, if almost everybody is drinking, why is this such a big thing?

Miss Johns asked Larry when he started to drink alcoholic beverages. He said that some of his older friends introduced him to drinking wine when he was twelve or thirteen years old and in the seventh grade.

Miss Johns told Larry that while his peers may indeed drink more than he does and that they may be a negative influence on him, the facts are that he is the one who is getting kicked out of school due to alcohol-related absenteeism, fighting, and delinquency, not his classmates. In addition, Miss Johns also underscored the fact that Larry, and not his buddies, is the one who is failing and who is missing one day of school per week because of his alcohol related problems. Finally, Miss Johns highlighted the fact that because of his drinking activities, Larry is getting into a negative cycle of excessive drinking that can ultimately destroy his aspirations, hopes, and dreams.

In a word, Larry’s involvement with adolescent alcohol abuse was starting to thwart his ability to behave like an accountable young man. As articulated by Miss Johns, “Just because most of your classmates drink alcohol does not mean that it is the healthiest thing for you.”

Larry Learns That Ultimately He Must Be Responsible For Himself In Order to Stay Away From Dangerous, Damaging, Unhealthy, and Destructive Outcomes In the Foreseeable Future

Miss Johns told Larry that others can undeniably influence an individual in a negative manner, but that the individual himself or herself has to eventually claim responsibility for herself or himself in order to avert destructive, unhealthy, dangerous, and damaging situations down the road.

Luckily, Miss Johns was extremely well prepared for her meeting with Larry. She showed him research studies and reports she had highlighted that outlined different drinking statistics and facts that targeted most people in general. Then she showed Larry a lot of figures and reports that applied principally to teens.

As an illustration, Miss Johns underscored the difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency and told Larry that individuals who continue to drink in an excessive manner often become alcohol dependent.

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

The Counselor Articulates Quite a Few Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse Statistics and Facts

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

1. As revealed by the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, there are 105,000 yearly alcohol-related fatalities in the United States because of inebriated drivers and related injuries, medical conditions, or diseases.

2. About one-fourth of all U.S. individuals who register in general hospitals have alcohol-related problems or are undiagnosed people who are addicted to alcohol who are being treated for the consequences of their hazardous drinking.

3. Alcoholism and alcohol abuse are the third leading cause of preventable fatalities in the United States.

4. More than seven percent of the population that is 18 years old and older -- almost 13.8 million Americans -- has problems with drinking, including 8.1 million drinkers who suffer from alcohol dependency.

5. 500,000 Americans who are alcoholics are between the ages of 9 and 12.

6. According to one U.S. research study of 18 to 24 year-old current drinkers who failed to complete high school, approximately sixty percent started to drink before the age of 16.

7. Currently, around 14 million Americans, 1 in every 13 adults, abuse alcohol or are alcoholic.

8. As demonstrated by the research literature, non-alcoholic members of alcoholic's families use 10 times as much sick leave as families who do not manifest alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency.

Larry Receives A Meaningful Primer on the Facts Regarding the Short Term and the Long Term Results of Adolescent Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse

After Miss Johns listed the aforementioned alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction facts and statistics, it was plain to see that what Miss Johns disclosed to Larry was a real surprise to him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only took the time to put in plain words the short term and the long term consequences of alcoholism and alcohol abuse, but she also made the effort to support what she was saying with alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse statistics and facts that related to everyone, and mainly to teenagers.

In actual fact, it was almost as if a light went on and Larry without pause comprehended why he should not be engaging in abusive and excessive drinking with or without his buddies any longer. Larry thanked Miss Johns for her concern and for the material she presented.

Miss Johns then asked Larry how he felt about getting a physical examination and an alcohol assessment 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 complete assessment of his drinking situation so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency rehab program right away.