Alcohol and drug abuse is making inroads in Aberdeen - I have noticed a tremendous abuse of alcohol and drugs amongst children under the age of 21 and this is a sad story for our small dorpie. One might say that the root cause of this is as a result of the lack of sports facilities which in turn leads to the young lions of Aberdeen roaming the streets of town. The other side of the coin mat well be the fact that there's too many “smokkelhuise” in our very small town. Once again, this is a worrying factor for Aberdeen and I think that our youth need to take this into cognisance.
A child who reaches the age of 21 without ever having smoked, abused alcohol or used drugs is virtually an unknown. Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence are not only adult problems - they also affect a significant number of adolescents and young adults between the ages of 12 and 20 - even though drinking under the age of 18 is illegal. The average age when youth first try alcohol is approximately 11 years for boys and 13 years for girls. By age 14, 41% of children have had at least one drink. Teens who begin drinking before the age of 15 are five times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who begin drinking at age 21. I have personally noticed 15 and 16 year old children abusing alcohol in Aberdeen. The onset of drinking at an early age is also associated with alcohol-related violence, not only among persons under the age of 21, but also among adults in our dorpie. It has been estimated that over three million teenagers are out-and-out alcoholics. Several more millions have a serious drinking problem that they cannot manage on their own. Drinking, often beginning around age 13, tends to increase during adolescence, peaking in young adulthood (age 18-22) then gradually increasing. Individuals who increase their binge drinking from age 18 to 24 and those who consistently binge drink at least once a week during this period, may have problems attaining the goals typical of the transition period from adolescence to young adulthood (e.g. marriage, education, attainment, financial independence, etc.).
I think all of us have a responsibility to cultivate better behavior for young children in Aberdeen. We all want to see Aberdeen producing medical doctors and other professionals. We need to develop a mechanism together with our local Municipality through the by-laws and take control of this abuse. We also need to encourage our schools to instill a culture of learning amongst our youth. In fact, I think we should encourage them to start a book club that will motivate them to read a lot and thereby empower their mind set.
A child who reaches the age of 21 without ever having smoked, abused alcohol or used drugs is virtually an unknown. Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence are not only adult problems - they also affect a significant number of adolescents and young adults between the ages of 12 and 20 - even though drinking under the age of 18 is illegal. The average age when youth first try alcohol is approximately 11 years for boys and 13 years for girls. By age 14, 41% of children have had at least one drink. Teens who begin drinking before the age of 15 are five times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who begin drinking at age 21. I have personally noticed 15 and 16 year old children abusing alcohol in Aberdeen. The onset of drinking at an early age is also associated with alcohol-related violence, not only among persons under the age of 21, but also among adults in our dorpie. It has been estimated that over three million teenagers are out-and-out alcoholics. Several more millions have a serious drinking problem that they cannot manage on their own. Drinking, often beginning around age 13, tends to increase during adolescence, peaking in young adulthood (age 18-22) then gradually increasing. Individuals who increase their binge drinking from age 18 to 24 and those who consistently binge drink at least once a week during this period, may have problems attaining the goals typical of the transition period from adolescence to young adulthood (e.g. marriage, education, attainment, financial independence, etc.).
I think all of us have a responsibility to cultivate better behavior for young children in Aberdeen. We all want to see Aberdeen producing medical doctors and other professionals. We need to develop a mechanism together with our local Municipality through the by-laws and take control of this abuse. We also need to encourage our schools to instill a culture of learning amongst our youth. In fact, I think we should encourage them to start a book club that will motivate them to read a lot and thereby empower their mind set.
Article By: Lulamile Klassen
