Although they claim to have more than enough information to make the right decisions about drinking, many teens still consume alcohol. They also admit that punishments or rewards do little, if anything, to dissuade them from drinking. What these teens require, instead, is help in determining why they feel the need to drink in the first place.

Teenagers, like all human beings, will have their own definite reasons for engaging in a particular behaviour, and no matter how reckless or ridiculous those behaviours may seem, they’re always driven by a positive intention or purpose. This insight provides adults with an understanding that a teen’s decision to consume alcohol will have much more to do with her own personal reasons and much less to do with grim statistics, threats or even bribes. If teens who drink are to make better, more responsible choices about alcohol consumption, they’ll need to first discover their motives for drinking and the intentions behind them.

Parents can help teens determine their specific reasons by asking the question, “What will drinking alcohol do for you?” Be sure to ask this question in a non-critical manner. Since most teens have never given much conscious thought as to why they drink, this powerful question will enable their exact reasons to surface. Each motive or intention that’s revealed can then be investigated further with additional questions.

A teen’s motivation for drinking generally falls into one of four categories. Each category has its own particular concerns and will require its own remedies and recourse.

The Experimenters
This is by far the largest and youngest group. It’s made up of teens who want to know what drinking is all about. Girls are more likely than boys to show up in this cluster.

Because they’re often subjected to opposing viewpoints about alcohol consumption, these teens are searching for the truth about how alcohol really tastes, what the effects of it are, whether drinking will make them more mature or cool, why it’s illegal, and why so many people do it. Although it’s difficult to diminish a teen’s curiosity about drinking, it can be reduced by addressing the specific concerns with a realistic but expanded perspective.

The Lemmings
The teens in this category are greatly influenced by their social group and begin drinking because their friends drink. While they never drink alone, they’ll almost always drink at parties or other social gatherings. Lacking a strong self-image, many of these teens turn to alcohol to gain the courage to behave in ways they normally wouldn’t.

The wallflower, for example, suddenly becomes the life of the party. When coupled with intoxication, the need to fit in can prove to be especially dangerous for these kids. 

Parents should try to provide these teens with ways to strengthen their self-concept and leadership skills, and show them how to acquire desired traits without the use of alcohol.

The Emotionals
Teens in this category admit to drinking for emotional reasons. They’ll often consume alcohol to escape problems, to avoid feeling angry or frustrated, or because they’re stressed or depressed. They often drink to relax and unwind. Contrary to popular belief, not all teens drink to ease negative emotions; some drink because they’re happy, excited or in high spirits. These teens need gentle assistance: help them to recognize that alcohol won’t ultimately alleviate their emotional distress. Resourceful solutions and better coping skills will serve them best.

The Thrill-seekers
For this group, any celebration, big or small, is synonymous with intoxication. These teens fall into the most reckless and careless of the four categories. It’s not surprising there are more boys than girls in this group. These teens mistakenly believe that being intoxicated exempts them from any accountability or responsibility for their actions,
which are often less than stellar. They also tend to live in the moment and can become easily bored. These teens need to learn about consequences, so help them to create future goals for themselves and show them better ways to create fun and excitement in their lives without drinking.  

Determining their reasons for drinking will not only provide teens with greater awareness about the soundness of their decisions, it will provide greater choice and an option for change. Moreover, when they can conclude for themselves that consuming alcohol offers no real long-term or permanent solution to any problem, teens will be more likely to drink responsibly, or even stop drinking altogether.