The average person in the United States has their first drink before the age of 17. Underage drinking is a major issue in society, and the more we study it, the worse it seems to get.
It's not limited to health issues, either. Teen drinking is illegal and is one of many legal problems that are linked to drinking. Criminal issues only compound the other problems.
While some would argue that it's like teenagers to rebel, the effects of underage drinking on individuals and society are quite detrimental. We'll discuss the consequences of underage drinking in this article.
Neurological Effects
Alcohol's effects on the brain aren't psychological so much as neurological. This means that alcohol alters the brain itself, changing structures within the brain and making some of its effects permanent.
Brain scans of teenagers show that those who drink heavily see deficits in the development of white matter. White matter describes nerves within the brain that have not yet fully developed.
What does white matter do, though, and what happens to us when it's damaged? The answer is a lot of things. White matter plays a role in learning and memory, so excessive drinking can cause a lowered ability to focus, difficulty retaining information, or even significant intellectual deficits.
Troubles with The Law
There's no guarantee that a teen who drinks is going to engage in other criminal activities, but there is a significant risk. Alcohol is attractive and dangerous for the same reason, which is that it makes us more impulsive.
Acting on impulse makes it easier to do a lot of things. Perhaps there's somebody at your work or school that you've had your eye on, but are too nervous to talk to. Maybe you have a talent that you want to show the world but also have stage fright.
The problem is that it also hinders our ability to fully comprehend the consequences of our actions, and the results are often horrific. Statistics show that one-quarter of all assaults and one-third of all rapes are committed by people under the influence of alcohol.
Driving Drunk
Among legal issues, drunk driving deserves a lot of attention. Statistics in 2015 revealed that over 120 million cases of drunk driving occurred per year. Other studies have shown that about 17% of all drunk driving incidents involved underage drinking.
This works out to over 20 million underage drunk drivers on the road in any given year. Assuming a teen driving drunk doesn't cause an accident; there's still the risk of them getting pulled over and getting a teen DUI charge.
The good news is that getting help with first-offense DUI charges isn't that hard. There are plenty of great lawyers willing to your case. You can learn about a few in Alabama, for instance, by clicking the link.
Teen Alcoholism
One problem that doesn't get talked about enough when it comes to teen drinking is teen alcoholism. The younger you are when you start drinking, the more profound alcohol's effects are likely to be. Among the ways this plays out is an increased chance of dependency for those who drink at a younger age.
This shows in society. Across all age ranges, the age group with the highest number of alcoholics is the early-mid 20s.
Alcohol Poisoning
One of the hallmark traits of alcoholism at any age is binge drinking or drinking a large number of drinks over a short period. Binge drinking can be especially dangerous for teens since they're often smaller than adults and not as mentally mature.
Alcohol poisoning is a potentially deadly issue associated with binge drinking. At first, alcohol poisoning looks like nothing more than being drunk, with symptoms like confusion and vomiting. However, if the person is allowed to keep drinking, symptoms can escalate, making the issue far more serious.
If a person begins breathing less and turns blue, call 911. Other things to look out for include seizures, lowered body temperature, and unconsciousness. It's important to get help immediately in these situations because alcohol poisoning can be fatal if left untreated.
Physical Health Issues
Many of the issues caused by alcoholism aren't immediate. Over time, heavy drinking can lead to issues with circulation, including high blood pressure, as well as an increased risk of heart attack or stroke.
Alcohol is also a known carcinogen, meaning that it's been linked to several types of cancer. The exact cause of cancer is still unknown, but alcohol alters the body in several ways that increase cancer risk. It damages organs and alters hormone levels.
It also affects the structure of DNA and can cause our cells to change in certain ways. One negative mutation our cells can take on is the loss of reproductive control. When our cells can't stop themselves from reproducing, they can split too many times, which results in a tumor.
The Effects of Underage Drinking
The effects of underage drinking, and drinking in general, are often serious. From higher chances of addiction to conduct issues and problems with the law, alcohol can harm us in a lot of different ways.
We've discussed some of them here, but entire books have been written on the effects of underage drinking. There's a lot more information out there than we could even dream of covering in one article, so we encourage you to do more research if you're interested.
You can learn more about lawyers and the law by reading the other articles on our site.
