Child Addicts -- What Every Parent Needs To Know - by: John Giordano, Founder and President of G & G Holistic Addiction Treatment Center
According to Mr. John Giordano -- Founder and President of G & G Holistic Addiction Treatment Center in North Miami Beach, Florida -- under age drinking and drug abuse is growing exponentially. The nonmedical use of prescription drugs among young adults increased by nearly 20% percent in one year, due largely to an increase in the nonmedical use of pain relievers. The average age when a youth first try alcohol is 11 years for boys and 13 years for girls. On this anniversary of Alcohol Awareness Month,' April, Mr. Giordano wants parents to know the perils their children face every day and the simple adjustments that can be made to prevent them from falling victim of this hideous disease.
North Miami Beach, Fl (PRWEB) April 24, 2008 -- Michele was twelve when she began experimenting with drugs and alcohol. It wasn't until more than twenty-years later and after a failed suicide attempt that she was finally freed from her drug and alcohol addictions. This is a true story" says John Giordano, Founder and President of G & G Holistic Addiction Treatment Center in North Miami Beach Florida, "and I've got a million more just like this one." Mr. Giordano is committed to preventing addictions in America's youth before they fall victim of this hideous disease by bring their telltale signs to the attention of their parents.
Under age drinking and drug abuse is growing exponentially according to Mr. Giordano. He sites the Health and Human Resources' most recent statics as an example. The nonmedical use of prescription drugs among young adults increased by nearly 20% percent in one year, due largely to an increase in the nonmedical use of pain relievers. The average age when a youth first tries alcohol is 11 years for boys and 13 years for girls. According to research by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, adolescents who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who begin drinking at age 21. The survey also shows that the problems of substance abuse and mental illness are often intertwined.
On an average day:
- Nearly 8,000 adolescents drink alcohol for the first time;
- Approximately 4,300 adolescents use an illicit drug for the first time;
- Around 4,000 adolescents smoke cigarettes for the first time;
- Nearly 3,600 adolescents use marijuana for the first time; and
- Approximately 2,500 adolescents will abuse pain relievers for the first time.
A number of factors contribute to the development of addictive behaviors. Early childhood trauma -- including sexual and/or physical abuse, neglect, or abandonment -- is often the root cause of childhood addiction. Some people develop their addictions at an early age and never learn to cope with adversity, thereby propagating their addictive behavior. As these individuals grow older, these behaviors become more entrenched and their addiction grows stronger until it becomes increasingly more difficult to satisfy.
On this anniversary of Alcohol Awareness Month,' Mr. Giordano wants parents to know that:
- Working parents with strenuous job demands leaving less family-time creates an environment conducive to childhood addiction
- Children that are abused, neglected or abandoned are at a higher risk of becoming an addict in their lifetime
- A diet that doesn't provide the minimal requirements of nutritional values can influence the development of addictions in children
- Genetics does play an important role in addiction
- Drug and alcohol addiction knows no socio-economic boundaries
- Youths who experience a major depressive episode are about twice as likely to start using alcohol or drugs
Mr. Giordano Influential book: "Proven Holistic Treatment for Addiction & Chronic Relapse" (Tate Publishing 2007 ISBN: 1-5988637-5-4) is being utilized by several state hospitals and a number of treatment centers across the country. G & G Holistic Addiction Treatment Center, the facility Mr. Giordano founded over twenty-years ago is a 62 bed in-patient/out-patient JACHO accredited addiction treatment center.
John Giordano's Distinguisted Awards
The Martin Luther King Award
The Homeless Humanitarian Award
Black Belt Hall of Fame
National Karate Champion
Mr. Giordano's Website:
John Giordano
Addiction Treatment |
