Teenage Alcohol Related Deaths

Teenage alcohol related deaths can mainly be attributed to the number of teens who choose to drink and drive. Reason being is that the majority of teenagers have the mentality of it will not happen to me. So more and more young adults get their licenses and believe that they are untouchable so will take more risks when they are drunk. This means that there are more and more teenagers on the road after a big night out and who believe that they are fine to drive home even though they are completely intoxicated.

One of the problems with teenage alcohol related deaths is that many parents do not see the warning signs, and if they do, they do not take the proper steps necessary to prevent them. In South Africa, the average age that a person has their first drink is 11 years old for boys and 13 years old for girls. The average age that South African’s begin drinking regularly is around 16 years old and teens who begin drinking before age 15 are more than five times more likely to develop alcohol dependence. This abuse of alcohol in combination with the fact that the majority of South African youth’s get their drivers licenses at the age of 18 can result in death due to drunk driving.

In South Africa alone, approximately 5000 teenagers die annually from alcohol related deaths with the three leading causes being those of car crashes, murder and suicide. However, the reality is that teen drinking can be attributed to a number of problems which can be resolved if caught early enough. Such problems include mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and antisocial personality disorder. Should you suspect your youngster of having any of the above mentioned issues, then it is best to seek professional help before your teen becomes another statistic of alcohol related deaths in South Africa.