14-year-0ld alcoholic
Dear Doug:
My 14-year-old daughter has been drinking after school. She's never been in any trouble, but this has me concerned. I don't get home from work until the evening. What should I do?
Signed,
Concerned Mother
. . . . .
Dear Codependent,
Other columnists might correctly point out that you need to insure your daughter has no access to alcohol. They might accurately tell us that youth who drink before age 15 are four times more likely to "become" alcoholics than those who begin drinking later in life. However, the use of the word "become" implies there is something other than genes at work. There isn't.
People do not "become" alcoholics; they trigger the disease. The distinction is essential for proper treatment. If they "become" ...
