Drinking alcohol is dangerous for kids and teens and sometimes for adults, too. Alcohol is a drug, and it is the drug most abused by teens. Many kids have their first drink at an early age, as young as 10 or 11 or even younger. They may have seen their parents drink or cool ads for beer and wine. It's easy for a kid to get the wrong message about alcohol. In TV commercials, drinking looks like a lot of fun. You might see people drinking and watching sports together or having a big party. But alcohol is actually a depressant. That means it's a drug that slows down or depresses the brain. Like many drugs, alcohol changes a person's ability to think, speak, and see things as they really are. A person might lose his or her balance and have trouble walking properly. The person might feel relaxed and happy and later start crying or get in an argument. Kids need to know that it is not ok to start drinking until they are of legal age and even then it is not recommended.

Driving while either intoxicated or drunk is dangerous and drivers with high blood alcohol content (BAC) are at increased risk of car accidents, highway injuries and vehicular deaths. Prevention measures evaluated include license suspension or revocation, impounding or confiscating vehicle plates, enforcing open container bans, increasing penalties such as fines or jail for drunk driving, mandating education for young people, and lowering legal BACs. Also discussed are safety seat belts, air bags, designated drivers, and effective practical ways to stay sober.Volunteer to be a designated driver. Never condone or approve of excessive alcohol consumption. Intoxicated behavior is potentially dangerous and never amusing. Don't ever let your friends drive drunk. Take their keys, have them stay the night, have them ride home with someone else, call a cab, or do whatever else is necessary - but don't let them drive! There are about 25,000 deaths a year, be careful with your friends and family in the car.

Alcohol gets to be that reckless part of you, that alter ego that appears like a black sheep of the family, only to rain on your parade. It's the kind of friend that moves in uninvited, steals your food, makes out with your girlfriend and doesn't pay a dime in rent. The perennial bad tenant, that wrecks your property, lets weeds grow in your garden and then only departs when forcibly evicted. But above all it's a substance that wrecks your health and causes so much unnecessary suffering, a drug you willingly pour down your neck for the sake of sociability and to block out the daily pounding of life. It's not until you can see it for what it is, an interloper in an otherwise beautiful existence that you realize that this substance takes on a life of its own, once you allow it to enter your body.

Occasionally families and hard workers discover on their own that alcohol is hurtful in their daily lives, contributing useless hardships to the normal day or week. Finding yourself worrying about your habits means you might actually be having a problem drinking. This is the point when you should seek professional help from therapists or rehab facilities. There are several ways you can test if you drinking has become out of personal control. A simple 20 question test on your daily habits in life will usually look like this: "Have you not been able to go to work because of drinking?" and "Have you avoided friends and family because of drinking?" Almost all qualified people say that if you answer 'yes' to any of the 20 inquiries you should see qualified help. The first step to abolishing of an issue is knowing that there is an issue to abolish.

A lot of alcoholics don't realize that their dependency on alcohol is actually a chemical obsession similar to drug use. Action can easily be taken to help resist the addiction. The process can be lengthy if the obsession is dramatic and it is difficult to treat. The alcoholic must make the choice to go to a rehab center. The first thing the professionals at the rehab centers will first do an alcohol detox which is a period of heavily monitored medical treatment meant specially for alcoholics. Though most cases aren't very severe many people will go through difficult rehab full of withdrawal symptoms ranging from cold sweats to severe seizures. There is no way around being detoxified the alcoholic has to go through with it in order to help him/her become sober. The final step to treatment is the rehab. The person will go through classes and therapy sessions in order to maintain sobriety. All of these steps are necessary to beating a difficult case of addiction.

For members of Alcoholics Anonymous, absolute alcohol sobriety is a must. But, for many of us absolute alcohol sobriety is a choice we make for all sorts of reasons. Health issues tend to be the prime motivation for maintaining absolute alcohol sobriety. Alcohol does not mix well with pregnancy, diabetes, high blood pressure to name but a few. There are also the psychological problems that are worsened by alcohol consumption and for which absolute alcohol sobriety is desirable. Achieving absolute alcohol sobriety can be challenging as drinking can become a habit if not an addiction. The occasional drinker may well be able to get to the point where they can achieve absolute alcohol sobriety without any help from outside sources. Others may need more help. Alcoholism is an issue made worse by the fact that societies' acceptance of the use of alcohol actually hides the problem. It can be incredibly difficult for anyone with an alcohol problem to achieve absolute alcohol sobriety.

If you are alcohol dependent you have a strong desire for alcohol. Sometimes the desire is overwhelming. Even if you want to stop drinking, it is difficult because of the withdrawal symptoms. The withdrawal symptoms include: feeling sick, trembling, sweating, craving for alcohol, and just feeling awful. Convulsions occur in a small number of cases. As a result, you drink alcohol regularly and 'depend' on it to prevent these symptoms. If you do not have any more alcohol the withdrawal symptoms usually last 5-7 days, but a craving for alcohol may persist longer. The severity of dependence can vary. It can develop gradually and become more severe. You may be developing alcohol dependence if you: often have a strong desire to drink alcohol. spend a lot of you time in activities where alcohol is available. For example, if you spend a lot of time at the social club or pub or neglect other interests or pleasures because of alcohol drinking. If you are alcohol dependent you are usually 'tolerant' to the effect of alcohol. This means that you need more alcohol to notice any effects and to become drunk. This can make things worse as it tends to make you drink even more.