Teens And Alcohol
Today we are seeing more and more teenagers drinking alcohol. Everyone knows that the legal drinking age is 21, but according to studies almost 80% of high school students have tried drinking. So why are they doing it and what can the side effects be?
Fit In
As a teenager starts to develop they are going through hormone changes and brain development. There are various reasons why a teen begins to drink. Maybe they are wanting to "fit in" with the crowd and start to drink. They may just be curious, want to feel older, or want to relax. It may start as drinking every now and then, but pick up to be more frequent and taking more drinks on each occasion.
Alcohol Is A Depressant
Alcohol is a depressant, which means that it decreases the rate of vital physiological activities. Alcohol can cause a person to relax, but in greater amounts causes intoxication. Studies show that those who start drinking before they are 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependency than those who have waited until after 20. Alcoholism is caused by a number of individual, family, genetic, and social factors rather than by any one cause.
Some of the long term side effects of drinking are liver damage, pancreatitis, certain cancers, and literal shrinkage of the brain. If you drink too much at one time you could have staggering, double vision, loss of balance, nausea, vomiting,an impression of the room spinning, and even alcohol poisoning. Depending on the person, intoxication can make someone very friendly and talkative or very aggressive and angry. Our reaction times are slowed down dramatically, which is why it is illegal to drink and drive.
There are many reasons not to drink as a teen. You can get get in trouble with the law, put your health at risk, and ruin family and friend relationships. It may even begin to interfere with your social life, sports, and school work. People often say that they drink to escape from their problems, but it is a proven fact that drinking only leads to more problems, especially problems with the law.
Some symptoms that your teen might be using alcohol are lying, making excuses, breaking curfew, staying in their room, becoming verbally or physically abusive toward others, the smell of alcohol on their breath, mood swings, and changes in friends. If you think your teen might be using alcohol keep a look out for these signs.
Alcoholism is diagnosed by evaluating whether the individual shows a number of symptoms of problem drinking on a regular basis. If your teen has developed alcoholism there are a variety of ways that people treat it. There are different medications, treatment centers, family interventions and family therapy, etc. The treatment centers help a person gradually overcome the physical and psychological dependence on alcohol. If you are a teen struggling, or know anyone that is struggling, it is best to get help as soon as possible.
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