AHS Views

Many parents think that if they let their kids drink at home, instead of going to bars or parties where they’re unsupervised and going to have to drive home, they’re going to be safe. That is not the case. In fact, it could foster substance abuse. What are your options? Alcohol rehab should be at the top of the list.

Case in point, a news story this week about a girl named Terry. She was at a party at a friend’s house. The parents were home. They had a few drinks with the kids, but then went to bed. They told the kids not to drink anymore.

Instead, Terry decided she would try to down 15 shots. This serious binge drinking poisoned her. She struggled all night lying on the bathroom floor, with her friends trying to help.

No one woke up the parents – the kids didn’t realize how dangerous the situation was. But as the news story put it, Terry wasn’t just struggling, she was dying. By the time the parents were informed, it was too late to save her life.

This incident happened in Michigan, in a county of less than 200,000 people. That county has a remarkably bad record with drugs and alcohol: Emergency medical technicians responded to about 175 overdose incidents and there 208 alcohol-related car crashes and 37 drug-related car crashes in 2009.

But, really, it doesn’t matter where this particular incident happened – it happens all over the U.S.

What went wrong? First, some parents have the idea that drinking with their kids is cool; it’s a way to ‘relate.’ But it sets the worst example. Will kids look up to their parents because they drink? Not likely.

Second, drinking at home, apparently safe, may keep the kids from having to get into a car and drive, but it doesn’t stop them from drinking too much, overdosing on alcohol, or becoming alcoholics.

If you have kids who drink, get them alcohol help. In a good drug and alcohol rehab program, they’ll come to understand that urge and overcome it. They’ll also learn to deal with it when friends around them are drinking. Then you don’t have to worry about them. Whether they’re home or out. They’ve become responsible.

There’s a new drink in town. It’s called Blast. Anyone who’s drinking this beers could probably use alcohol rehab, but I would get it for them as soon as possible – this drink’s dangerous!

Blast comes in 23.5 ounce cans of 12% alcohol. Most beer is sold in 12 ounce cans, with alcohol content of 3 to 5 %.

Blast could cause a lot of problems. It can put you over the legal limit with one beer, and it’s enough alcohol to constitute binge drinking.

It may be worst for those who don’t know what they’re drinking, especially if they they tend to guzzle. They could down two beers fairly quickly – before the alcohol really hit them. By then, they’ve actually had 10 beers – a really dangerous amount of alcohol.

It’s scary to think of the number of people who could wind up with alcohol poisoning.

All in all, Blast is a dangerous drink.

Blast comes in brightly-colored cans with fruit flavors – making it all the more appealing for the younger generation. In fact, Maine’s and 16 other Attorneys General recently contacted Pabst, the maker, requesting they take Blast altogether or change it.

Don’t be fooled by a quick look and think your kid is drinking fruit juice or some innocent soda pop. Blast is anything but. If your kid thinks this beer is a good time, get him some addiction help.