The image of minors who drink beer or wine at a bar, or students who smoke in secret behind school, is no longer a rare phenomenon in Greece. The elements are shocking: Almost all teenagers have tried alcohol, many smoke cigarettes daily, and a worrying rate admits that it has even experimented with illegal drugs.
During adolescence, many young people are convinced that they are invulnerable, overestimating their abilities and abilities. They often feel almighty and believe that the risks concern others and not themselves. This safety illusion leads to a devaluation of the potential risks and, therefore, to risky behaviors.
Starting, use and early stages of abuse alcohol They are often found in adolescence, a period when the teenager begins to move away from the family and more affected by the wider social environment.
According to social learning theory, teenagers learn by observing patterns, such as parents, siblings and peers. These standards, especially when they have prestige or authority, can have a decisive influence on adolescent attitudes and choices.
What factors predisposed to alcohol use during adolescence? They include significant family events, such as economic difficulty, loose or conflicting family relationships, parents divorce, the presence of serious illnesses or losses in the family environment, and even the existence of family history of alcoholism.
| – The view that alcohol use is an action against the rigor of parents |
| – for fun |
| – For socialization, acceptance, compliance or assimilation |
| – For pleasure |
| – They consider this to be more acceptable |
| – For testing, risk, to prove sexual courage |
| – to reduce stress |
| – to get derived from anxiety, depression and fear |
| – to get out of boredom |
| – To get out of the pain of a family problem |
| – to solve personal problems |
Parents who systematically or abuse alcohol tend to act as negative standards for their children, directly affecting the possibility of mimicing the same behavior. According to studies, parental consumption of alcohol is associated with an increased chance of accidents (eg due to driving under the influence), higher rates of physical and mental abuse of children, relationship disorders and low self -esteem of children.
Research has also shown that teenagers who have more first -degree relatives with history of alcohol are at 3 to 5 times more risk of alcohol abuse. The family environment, especially when characterized by tension, anxiety, and unstable emotional bonds, may cause family disorders and exacerbate the psychological burden of children.
The effect of parental alcoholism on adolescent behavior can be enormous, as it creates a psychological and social context that enhances the tendency for experimentation, escape and ultimately the establishment of dangerous behavior patterns.
Excessive alcohol consumption is one of these behaviors, which is often accompanied by dangerous practices, such as driving under its influence, involvement in violent incidents or abusive actions, sexual intercourse without protection and other impulsive actions that endanger their health.
A characteristic of adolescence is for the young man to think that he is invulnerable, to overpower his abilities and abilities, to feel strong and to think that bad will not happen to him, usually underestimating the risk of situations. This reaches the point of consuming reckless alcohol and then engaging in dangerous behaviors for their health and physical integrity, such as drunken drunkenness, their involvement in quarrels or abusive behaviors, sexual intercourse and much more.
Numbers from recent scientific research and official statistics leave no room for doubt: the use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs by high school and high school students is a real and serious reality.
Teenagers and Alcohol: What does the survey reveal
Despite the seemingly low frequency of alcohol consumption in adults in Greece – only 3% of deaths are attributed to this cause – the indicators between adolescents illuminate a different, worrying reality. The report Greece: Country Health Profile 2023 It sounds the alarm: Eating alcohol by adolescents in Greece remains steadily high, with significant percentages of declared drunkenness and early contact with the substance.
According to the details:
- The 20% of 15 -year -olds He has drunk at least twice in his life.
- About 1 in 10 boys He has drunk before he turned 13.
- Alcohol consumption has been linked to accidents, use of other substances, delinquency and long -term dependency problems.
Easy access scares
In Greece, most minors can supply alcohol without much difficulty, despite the relevant legal prohibitions. His investigation SPEECH (2019) reveals:
- 70,2% Students of 16-18 years old drinks alcohol in the last month before the research.
- 62% They have consumed alcohol in entertainment areas, such as bar and clubs, over the last 30 days.
- 1 in 3 Students have drunk at least once.
- 17,4% Passengers were found in a car with a driver who had consumed a large amount of alcohol.
How do teenagers think about alcohol
Worrying is that:
- 9 in 10 minors They find it easy to access alcohol.
- 35% They believe that there is no risk if one drinks 1-2 drinks almost daily.
The above reveals a dangerous “normalization” of alcohol use in adolescent culture, despite increasing information and prevention campaigns.
Start the drink, out of 13
According to his research KETHEA PILOTOSthe age of starting alcohol consumption is located in 13 to 14 years. 67% of students who reported alcohol were boys and 33% girls. One in ten students consumes alcohol 1 to 2 times a month, drinking from 3 drinks and over at a time, while two in ten drink from 3 drinks and over 3 to 4 times a month. The main reasons for consumption include curiosity, parents’ supply and encouragement of friends. Saturdays are the most common days of consumption, with parties (37.9%) and clubs/bars (25.3%) being the main consumption areas. It is noteworthy that 40.9% of adolescents are supplying alcohol alone, while 34.4% receive it from parents with their exhortation, license or tolerance
Although the above numbers mainly relate to high school students, the phenomenon starts already in the early grades of adolescence. Studies show that several students high school They already have contact with alcohol and tobacco. For example, in local school surveys it has been found that a significant percentage of children had the First experience with alcohol before even finishing elementary – often in a family or social context – and that until the 3rd Gymnasium the majority of adolescents have tried at least a drink
The effects of alcohol consumption on adolescence are multidimensional and serious. Excessive consumption can lead to acute drunkenness, with adolescent incidents ending up in hospitals due to excessive consumption. In addition, alcohol consumption is linked to increased risk of accidents, such as traffic, as well as problems with school performance and social behavior
As KETHEA points out, adolescence is a critical and ‘vulnerable’ periodยท Experimental use can escalate and adversely affect brain growth, and is associated with other risky behaviors.
The effects of alcohol on adolescents: an invisible threat
Eating alcohol in adolescence is often treated as “innocent fun” or even as ritual adulthood. However, reality is much darker and dangerous.
Acute drunkenness: ‘It won’t happen to me’
Many teenagers underestimate the risk of acute drunkenness, believing that they can withstand the drink or that they can control it. The incidents that end up in hospitals with comatal symptoms are not uncommon due to excessive consumption. Even without hospitalization, excessive use can cause:
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Memory loss
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Instability and tendency to vomit
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Speech difficulty
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Deceleration of reactions
Alcohol, aggression and sexual abuse
Alcohol is directly related to aggressive behaviors and cases of sexual abuse. Statistics are revealing:
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The 30% of violent attacks
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The 15-20% sexual abuses are made under the influence of alcohol.
Teenagers are more at risk, especially in incidents ‘Rape in an appointment’where alcohol consumption acts as a tool for coercion. Victims face long -term consequences such as:
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Depression
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Anxiety disorders
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Eating disorders (such as anorexia nervosa)
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Post -traumatic stress
Aesthetic, obesity and chronic fatigue
Alcohol is calorie equivalent to fatwhich leads to weight gain, which affects the self -esteem of adolescents. At the same time:
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Dehydrates the body
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Makes the skin look pale and tired
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Disrupts sleep, leading to chronic fatigue
The gateway to other substances
Often, alcohol consumption is the first step to use:
Adolescence is a period of experimentation, and alcohol opens the “door” to greater dangers.
What can parents do?
Many parents find it difficult to recognize whether their child has begun to experiment with substances. Adolescence alone is a period of change. It is important to use existing prevention structures:
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Prevention centers (OKANA & Local Government)
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KETHEA – Counseling programs
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Help lines such as:
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1145 (KETHEA)
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OKANA
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Update with face, not with leaflet
Teenagers often have the illusion of “immunity”. They believe that “it will not happen to me”. Parents and teachers need to talk realisticallywith examples, not with a lecture. OR storytelling or former users has a much greater effect than any printed material.
Schools are required to organize:
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Speeches with experts
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Experiential workshops
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Real stories of people affected