Washington Post (WP) of 4th may 2012 contained an article by Mike Duggan on youth alcoholism in the US state of Michigan in the particular district of Detroit. Duggan is an accomplished article writer with experience spanning two decades, and has earned accolades the world over and in all the United States. He has done articles on several subjects that matter to the American citizens ranging from economic issues, social issues and political analyses.
On this particular date, he delves into a social matter that remains one of the most discussed issues in the United States of American society, youth and teenage alcoholism. He looks at the possible reasons for indulgence, the effects of youth indulgence and the remedial measures that could be pursued to reverse the trend. He gives statistics on youth alcoholism in Detroit. He points out 26.7% alcoholism prevalence among teenagers aged between 13 and 19 years of age. Those aged between 16 and 19 have attained the majority age but are still classified under teenagers. Those aged between 20 and the 35 have the highest alcoholism prevalence among them, being 54.6%, even more than those above 35 years of age who form the majority of the American working class. Surprisingly between 13 and 16 years of age, there tends to be a great deal of parental restriction on indulgence on any kind of drug use. What’s more surprising is that the proportion of the Detroit population that drinks more is that which is less financially endowed.
This perhaps is the justification of youths who resort to morally wrong engagement such as mugging, robbery, prostitution etc. in order to meet their indulgence needs, and to some extent, as a result of indulgence itself. Researches have shown that who are caught as they go about those illegal acts often test positive for several drugs, alcohol being the most common.
Duggan further analyses that the government has acted in many different ways with a common viewing to checking alcoholic and drug addiction among the American youth. Detroit district of Michigan state has not been exempted from these all important measures. Rehab centers and other correctional facilities have been set up to try to act as avenues for behavior change and this has seen the prevalence drop by a percentage margin, however minimal. Counseling and guidance initiatives also been taken by the Detroit municipality.
The damage that youth alcoholic indulgence has caused cannot be overlooked or treated with a pinch of salt. It has led to the highest wastage rate in the sector of education. It accounts to 78.2% of high school and college/university dropout in the American state of Michigan with samples picked form the district of Detroit. Boys and girls, ladies and gents drop out of learning institutions due to the effects of alcoholism, such as unruliness and looking at teachers as nonpersons especially under the influence. With so many schools losing pupils and students as a result of alcoholism, the society is made to receive the worst effects, which take many different forms, ranging from acts of robbery with violence, illegal possession of firearms, prostitution, drug peddling, street living and street violence and more
He cites a number of reasons for youth indulgence. One of the latent reasons and which is argued as the biggest contributor is where parents drink in front of the children as young as 10 years of age. They don’t just drink, but do it until they lose their manners in front of the very children they are supposed to model with decent living. What happens next is the desire by these young ones to experiment secretly with those very brands of alcoholic drinks and note if the effect was the same. As parents persist with this act, so do the kids and what follows is a bad addiction at a young age. They then find it as the best way to wind off after school or strenuous day. This kind of addiction is the worst and hard to stop.Another reason for indulgence is that of leading a life full of frustrations. Youths are the most adventurous lot in the society and where these pursuits don’t succeed, they resort to consoling measures and normally alcoholism is the most common resort. A frustration studded life among the youth is another major contributor especially among youths aged between 19 and 35 years.
There is an array of other reasons but these two have been identified as being the most common ones across Michigan and particularly in the district of Detroit. Any solution that’s to be pursued has to be a collective measure in which the addicts/victims, the parents and the government are all involved. We also have several interest groups in the society that have also played a major role in this. Generally, it can be concluded that a lot of progress has taken place in this pursuit.
Reference
Alcoholism Policy Information System (APIS) States profiles of law underage drinking laws. A case of Detroit, Michigan.
James, F.C. (March 2012). Drinking and culture. International comparison: Addressing underage drinking. PP. 208-296.
Keen, J. (April 2008). States weigh lowering drinking age. A development so welcome among the youths. USA Today 2(10) p 234-278. Retrieved April 23 2010.
