Most teens are not deterred by the legal drinking age of 21.
Despite the best efforts of organizations such as ALOUD (Alliance On Underage Drinking), and the Century Council (Distillers fighting drunk driving and underage drinking), alcohol consumption continues to be a problem for teenagers across the nation. According to the 2009 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (NYRBS), nearly 3/4 of high school students in the United States have tried drinking alcohol. Drinking alcohol as a teen carries serious health risks.
Alcohol Poisoning
Alcohol poisoning is the most immediate concern related to teenage drinking. This condition, which often results from binge drinking, is the result of having an extreme amount of alcohol in your system and can cause vomiting, seizures, loss of consciousness, and even death.
Effects on Organs
Alcohol consumption can have adverse effects on nearly all bodily organs, most notably the liver and the brain. Repeated or excessive alcohol consumption often leads to cirrhosis of the liver, a disease that prevents the liver from removing toxins from the body. During the teenage years, our brains are still rapidly developing. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), "Alcohol use during this time may affect brain development."
Associated Risky Behaviors
Because alcohol affects a person's decision-making abilities, teenage drinking is associated with a plethora of risky behaviors that can have negative health impacts. First of all, underage drinking significantly increases the likelihood of being sexually active and having unsafe sex. Also, according to the NIAAA, "Alcohol use is associated with many adolescent risk behaviors, including other drug use and delinquency, weapon carrying and fighting, and perpetrating or being the victim of date rape." The most publicized risk behavior associated with teenage drinking is drunk driving. The 2009 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (NYRBS) reports that almost 10 percent of students had driven when they had been drinking alcohol.
Other Health Effects
Teenage alcohol consumption can cause weight gain, increased blood pressure, bad breath, and slurred speech. Perhaps most importantly, teenagers that drink are much more likely to become dependent on alcohol than a person who does not begin drinking until adulthood.
Be Safe
The best way to be safe and avoid all of these health effects is to abstain from using alcohol as a teen. For information on prevent underage drinking, see the Surgeon General's guide in the resources included below.
Tags: alcohol consumption, associated with, teenage drinking, Youth Risk Behavior, 2009 National