Which of the following reasons are commonly associated with alcohol abuse in adolescents?
I. Peer pressure and social influence.
II. Curiosity, desire for adventure, excitement, and experimentation.
III. Using alcohol as a means to cope with stress, depression, and frustration.
IV. Seeking relief from the challenges and difficulties of daily life.
Select the correct statements from the options provided.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → All of these
Adolescence (about 12 to 18 years of age) is a period of fast physical and mental change, so it is a vulnerable phase. The book lists several reasons that lead young people to alcohol and drugs.
I. Peer pressure and social influence. — True. The book names peer pressure. It also says the idea that drinking is ‘cool’, spread through television, films and the internet, pushes youth to start.
II. Curiosity, desire for adventure, excitement, and experimentation. — True. The book calls these the common causes; the first use is often out of curiosity.
III. Using alcohol as a means to cope with stress, depression, and frustration. — True. Stress, for example from pressure to do well in examinations, persuades many youngsters to try alcohol. Relief from stress is one of its perceived benefits.
IV. Seeking relief from the challenges and difficulties of daily life. — True. After the first use, a child may go on using alcohol to escape facing problems.
NCERT Extract:
Adolescence and Drug/Alcohol Abuse – “… Curiosity, need for adventure and excitement, and experimentation, constitute common causes, which motivate youngsters towards drug and alcohol use. … Thus, the first use of drugs or alcohol may be out of curiosity or experimentation, but later the child starts using these to escape facing problems. Of late, stress, from pressures to excel in academics or examinations, has played a significant role in persuading the youngsters to try alcohol and drugs. … Other factors that have been seen to be associated with drug and alcohol abuse among adolescents are unstable or unsupportive family structures and peer pressure.”