HealthInfo West Coast-Te Tai Poutini
Alcohol: know the facts (youth & teens)
Alcohol is a drug. It is psychoactive, which means it affects your brain and how it works, and it is also addictive. It may well be the first drug you come into contact with, at home and when you are out with your friends. It's cheap, easy to get hold of, and legal if you are 18 or older.
We are still learning how much harm alcohol does to our bodies. Knowing the facts about alcohol and how it might affect you can help you make good decisions about whether to drink and, if you do, how much. Experts say if you are younger than 18 the safest option is not to drink alcohol at all. If you do drink alcohol when you are younger than 15 you at greatest risk of some of the harmful things that can happen with alcohol, like:
- physical injury
- sexual assault
- changes to the way your brain develops, which may affect you for the rest of your life.
The best way to avoid the bad things that can happen with alcohol is to put off starting to drink for as long as possible.
If you do drink, keep yourself safe, and make sure you and your friends look out for each other.
If you're worried that you might be drinking too much, it could be a good idea to talk to your doctor about it. Your usual doctor has to keep all information about your medical care private, and is a good person to see because they know you and have your health records. But if you'd prefer to see another doctor, you can see one for free at 298 Youth Health.
Phone and helplines
It may be easier to talk to someone anonymously first, or you may be worried that someone else may have a drinking problem. Try one of these helplines for advice and support:
Youthline
Freephone 0800‑376‑633 (any time) or free TXT: 234 (8 am to midnight) to speak to a counsellor.
Email talk@youthline.co.nz any time. Counsellors aim to respond to emails within 48 hours, so if you need help immediately it is better to phone, txt, or use the online chat.
Alcohol Drug Youth Helpline
Freephone 0800‑787‑YTH (0800‑787‑984), 10 am to 10 pm, any day
Free TXT 8681 and a counsellor will txt you back.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- Alcohol Drug Helpline
This site, from New Zealand's Alcohol and Drug Foundation, had lots of information including an A-Z of drug and alcohol information, specific support for young people, stories, FAQs, advice if you or someone else has a problem, and tests to check if you're at risk of drug or alcohol harm.
- Youth West Coast
This website for young people on the West Coast includes a forum where you can discuss any issues you're dealing with, information about free counselling on the West Coast, online quizzes to help you figure out if you need help for a mental health or addiction issue, and other useful stuff
- Youthhealthtalk.org – Drugs and alcohol
Video interviews with young people about their experiences and opinions of drugs and alcohol. This is a British site, so some of the services they talk about might not be available in New Zealand.
- Youthline.co.nz – Alcohol
This page includes articles about alcohol, binge drinking, drink driving, safety information, what to do if someone has passed out, and where to get help.
On the next page: Helping your teen develop safe drinking habits
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. March 2016.
Sources
See also:
Review key: HIAIY-53627
