Alcoholic Talk

Dealing with underage drinking can be a huge and scary task if you are not ready to deal with it.

First tip I can say is, do not be afraid to talk to your kid about it. Your child will freak out if he/she knows that you know about the drinking, they will calm down if you handle it correctly.

Second, Grounding, yelling, or otherwise trying to discipline your child about drinking solves nothing. In most cases, this causes the minor to drink more in an act of rebelling against you.

Third, inform your kid what can happen to him/her if they drink. Show photos of car crashes, medical pictures, etc. This curbs drinking a lot if they know truly what will happen if they continue. Talk to them and ask why they do it, fitting in with the other kids is high on the list, thou depression can be a reason. If it is depression or issues in the home, take the child to see a professional so he/she can better deal with the issues that are causing the drinking. It might take time but most kids will stop.

Just keep on loving your child and show them that you care.

• Some research has shown that as people age they become more sensitive to alcohol’s effects. In other words, the same amount of alcohol can have a greater effect on an
  older person than on someone who is younger.
• Some medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, ulcers, and diabetes, can worsen with alcohol use.
• Many medicines—prescription, over-the-counter, or herbal remedies—can be dangerous or even deadly when mixed with alcohol. This is a special worry for older people because the average person over age 65 takes at least two medicines a day. If you take any medicines, ask your doctor or pharmacist if you can safely drink alcohol. Here are some examples:
  • Aspirin can cause bleeding in the stomach and intestines; the risk of bleeding is higher if you takeaspirin while drinking alcohol.
  • Cold and allergy medicines (antihistamines) often make people sleepy; when combined with alcohol this drowsiness can be worse.
  • Alcohol used with large doses of the pain killer acetaminophen can raise the risk of liver damage.
  • Some medicine, such as cough syrups and laxatives, have a high alcohol content.

  
  Source: National Institute on Aging