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Parent Testimonials Video

Teens and Alcohol

Although alcohol is not often considered a drug due to the fact that it is legal and that its use is socially affected, it is, in fact, a sedative and hypnotic drug and its compulsive consuming and in excess has become a big social problem.

When it is consumed alcohol is absorbed rapidly through the small intestine and it goes into the blood stream. Depending on the alcohol content it diminished some activity in certain parts of the brain and the

Experimentation with alcohol in teenagers is common. With the feeling of immortality and indestructibility many teenagers have they do not see the consequences between their actions and the possible posterior consequences. Teens and alcohol are a particularly difficult combination.

What is Alcohol?

Alcohol is a very potent depressant that affects the central nervous system. It also changes the way people feel and think. Teenagers are particularly at risk when it comes to alcohol because they have not yet built up a physical tolerance. Their inexperience with drinking can also lead them to be unable to make the right decisions when it comes to their level of intoxication. Additionally some new studies say that teenagers are more vulnerable both physically and psychologically to the effects of alcohol. If an individual begins consuming alcohol unsupervised when they are very young they are at a huge risk of having some sort of alcohol problem later on in life.

Is Alcohol Safe For Teenagers?

The answer to that question is that there is not. There is not an amount or level of alcohol which is safe for teenagers, in particular those under 18. Some countries guidelines give information regarding how many drinks an individual can have before they are considered at risk but these never include children: the limits are always fo adults. Teenagers under sixteen are at very high risk when taking alcohol but in most countries an individual must be at least eighteen to buy or drink alcohol.

What Are Its Effects on Teenagers' Bodies?

While alcohol affects all bodies, teenagers and young adults are particularly vulnerable. Organs which have not fully developed can be entirely poisoned by alcohol. One particular organ which can be damaged is the liver after a night of drinking and it takes a few days to recover. Other more extreme effects include the heart beating irregularly, the body losing temperature which could cause hypothermia; if the individual does not have enough sugar in their bloodstream consuming alcohol might cause comas and seizures. On top of this breathing can become shallow and irregular until it stops. It is very common for people to die of alcohol intoxication by choking on vomit.

Drinking While Underage

According to statistics alcohol is the most used drug by young people in the United States. Despite the fact that drinking while being under twenty-one is illegal many young people aged between twelve and twenty drink. It is estimated that they account for about 11% of all alcohol consuming in the USA. A major concern when it comes to underage drinking is binge drinking: a majority of the alcohol is consumed while binging and young drinkers tend to drink more drinks per night of drinking than those of legal age. In the year 2008 about 200,000 young people visited the emergency room for problems and injuries related to alcohol use.

What Are The Statistics?

When high school students were asked if they had consumed alcohol within the past month 42% say they had, 24% said they had been binge drinking, 10% said they had driven after drinking alcohol and 28% said they got in a car with someone who had been drinking or was drunk.
In the year 2009 it was reported that 37% of eighth graders and 72% of 12th graders had consumed alcohol at least one. 15% of eighth graders and 44% of 12th graders had drunk alcohol within the past thirty days.

What Are The Consequences of Underage Teenage Drinking?

The consequences of drinking alcohol are very varied for all youths but can be negative and devastating. Teenagers who drink are more likely to experience problems at school like falling grades and poor attendance, social problems like lack of participation in normal youth activities and even fighting, legal problems like arrests for being drunk and disorderly, getting into fights while drunk or drunk driving, physical problems like illnesses and hangovers, unwanted or unplanned sexual activity, sexual and physical assault, memory problems, use of other drugs and changes in the development of the brain. Teens that use alcohol can also be at risk of suicide and death from alcohol poisoning.

Teens that experience these problems are more likely to binge drink. Additionally teenagers that start drinking before they are 15 are much more like to become alcohol dependent or have alcohol problems down the road.

Teens at higher risk than others include those that have a family history of drug abused, are depressed and have low self-esteem, although it is not easy to know which teens will become alcohol dependent and which teens will just experiment with the alcohol.

What Are The Health Risks of Alcohol for Teenagers?

The immediate health risks after taking alcohol tend to be from binge drinking and can include injuries from falls, drowning, burns and traffic injuries. It can cause unsafe sexual behavior in which teens might engage in unprotected sex or sex with multiple partners and are more vulnerable towards sexual assaults. Alcohol consuming can also end up in violence towards loved one or partners. Additionally alcohol can cause alcohol poisoning which results in suppressing of the central nervous system and generally causes loss of consciousness, low body temperature, comas and even death.

Long term alcohol consuming in teenagers can lead to chronic diseases, problems in the brain and problems socially. These problems can include dementia, strokes, cardiovascular problems, psychiatric problems like anxiety, depression and suicide, social problems and liver diseases like hepatitis and cirrhosis and it can worsen liver functions for those than have hepatitis C. It can also interfere with medications to manage this condition. There can also be long term gastrointestinal conditions including gastritis and pancreatitis.