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Alcohol Facts - For Teenagers Only

NCJ Number
98815
Author(s)
R Krauss
Date Published
1982
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This filmstrip, accompanied by audio cassette narration, presents dramatizations designed to teach adolescents about the nature and effects of alcohol abuse, its causes, and treatment.
Abstract
Four dramatizations involving adolescents draw lessons about the nature and effects of alcohol abuse. The first dramatization makes the following points: (1) a 12-ounce bottle of beer has approximately the same alcoholic content as a glass of wine or shot of whiskey; (2) excessive drinking any time, especially if it produces blackouts, indicates a time, especially if it produces blackouts, indicates a developing case of alcoholism; and (3) teenagers can become addicted to alcohol in as short a time as 6 months. The second dramatization teaches that a 'few beers' can significantly reduce driving skills and alertness. It advises that no quick remedy (such as coffee) can reduce the effects of alcohol on driving immediately after drinking. The third dramatization warns that mixing alcohol with drugs, even common medications, can be life-threatening. The fourth dramatization demonstrates that excessive drinking over a short period can result in impulsive, irrational behavior that has severe, long-term consequences. The remaining four dramatizations focus on adolescents who have an alcohol problem themselves or have someone close to them who does. One boy, with a brother who has been arrested for various alcohol-related offenses, seeks guidance by joining Alateen, an organization for teens who have an alcoholic in their family. Another dramatization cautions that children of alcoholics are at a higher risk than others of developing alcohol problems and should thus be particularly wary of traveling with a drinking peer group. The remaining dramatizations (1) illustrate how unacknowledged family problems can underlie alcohol abuse and (2) examine teenage drinking for social acceptance and looks at participation in a peer counseling group to counter alcohol abuse. A teacher's guide is provided for use in the discussion following the showing of the filmstrip.