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Treatment for alcohol abuse in Newfoundland and Labrador Print E-mail
Teenage drinking issues are not new but of late they have escalated beyond our comprehension. What has been found is that Newfoundland and Labrador have to deal with teenage drinkers who have been indulging more than they should. Life is never easy these days and people especially young people tend to crumble under pressure, be it academic or social. There are a variety of reasons why teenagers start drinking, but obviously there are some who are more vulnerable to being addicted than others. As we see it, those who are lacking in self confidence or tend to live reclusive lives are the ones who are most tempted to take resort to drinking for relaxation. Often, some of them start to drink just to belong to a certain social strata or succumb under peer pressure.

Teenagers rarely know where to stop and this leads to drinking in excess. They often have distorted ideas of having fun which results in alcohol abuse and from there grows a dependence to continue doing that without caring about consequences. Too much drinking can give rise to any of the following:

1. Lack of coordination
2. Loss of sense to judge properly
3. Delayed reflexes
4. Vision distortion/ blurry vision
5. Forgetfulness or lapsing of memory
6. Dizziness accompanied with blackouts.

These are however, the milder side effects. Alcohol abuse can be fatal and have damages extending from poisoning from alcohol, coma and even death. It can have damaging effects on several organs of the body and make the body prone to a number of diseases including the deadly cancer. This apart, teenagers often indulge in drunken driving which can prove to be dangerous for other people on the street.

Newfoundland and Labrador, being one of the provinces with greatest addiction problems, has remarkably less comprehensive recovery centers to help those who need to get rid of their chronic addiction. Considering the count, the number of centers with facilities to cure addiction is less and needs to be developed immediately. In the entire province, there is a singular detox center and only three residential facilities for those who need long-term rehabilitation. For the approximate 20, 000 addicts in the place, there are provisions for only 120. Waiting lists run long and the immediate help available also come with at least one or two days waiting period. Intervention and detoxification support must be strengthened to be able to cater to all those who are in need of dire help to lead better lives.
 

Newfoufland Work cited 11 October, 2009

http://www.health.gov.nl.ca/health/publications/pdfiles/SDUS%20Summary%20Report%202007-11-15%20FINAL%20_R_.pdf