Common Myths About Alcohol
Myth or Fact?
Myth: My son or daughter knows everything about drinking, so we don’t need
to talk about it.
Fact: Many teenagers have dangerous misconceptions about alcohol. They don’t realize that wine coolers have the same alcohol content as a shot of distilled spirits, or they think they can sober up by drinking coffee or getting fresh air.
Myth: What parents say or do won’t make any difference; teens only listen to
their friends.
Fact: Parents are very influential. Teens, whose parents supervise their friendships and activities, are less likely to engage in drinking.
Myth: He only drinks beer. It’s a phase—he’ll get over it, just as I did.
Fact: Adolescents who begin drinking before age 15 or younger are four times more likely to develop problems of alcohol use and dependency than those who begin drinking at age 21 or older.
Myth: It’s okay for young people to drink, just as long as they don’t drive. The
worst that can happen is that he’ll wake up with a terrible hangover.
Fact: Wrong. If you drink a lot of alcohol quickly, it can build up in your body so much that you can die from alcohol poisoning within only a few hours. As well, you’re more prone to injury.
Myth: Alcohol is not such a big deal, compared with illicit drugs.
Fact: Alcohol is a factor in the three leading causes of deaths among 14- and 15-year olds.
Myth: Teens can’t become alcoholics because they haven’t been drinking long
enough.
Fact: You can develop alcoholism at any age. It depends on how much and
how often you drink.
