"STICKER SHOCK" To Prevent Teen Treatment

Virginia has now joined other states in a statewide “sticker shock” campaign, where youth and law enforcement officials, in cooperation with local retailers, have begun placing warning labels on alcohol. The stickers remind buyers of the legal consequences for buying alcohol for minors. The campaign hopes to curb teen drinking by cutting off their supply of alcohol.
When I was underage, I either stole alcohol with my friends from stores or people’s parents (my parents didn’t keep alcohol in the house) or I got someone older than me to buy it for me. Occasionally, a shopkeeper would sell me alcohol. I don’t know why, but they did. I’m not sure how my drinking would have progressed had I not had such easy access to alcohol. I think that I would have found something to get me loaded. I usually did. I don’t think that my problem was as much about people giving me access to alcohol, but that my compulsion to drink and use drugs. My solution wasn’t so much about cutting off my alcohol supply, but was more about finding the root of my drinking problem and treating that. In teen alcohol treatment, I was able to deal with the things that led me to try and numb myself. Drugs and alcohol are always going to be out there. The problem isn’t the substance- it’s me. In doing the necessary work on myself, I have been able to find freedom and happiness. If your teen is struggling with alcohol or drug dependence, contact us today.