Alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug among under-aged youth in the United States, resulting in nearly 200,000 alcohol related visits to emergency rooms and approximately 4,300 alcohol related deaths annually. Under-age use of alcohol can lead to multiple physical, mental, social, educational, and legal troubles. Youths who consume alcohol open themselves up to an increased likelihood of unplanned pregnancies, assault, and other violent crimes. The short term effects of alcohol on teenagers are apparent, but unfortunately, some of the effects on developing brains have proven to be longer-lasting or even irreversible.
Memory Problems
Memories are made in the hippocampus area of the brain. Alcohol is toxic to the hippocampus, causing the nerve cells to be damaged or even destroyed. Drinking even one drink can affect the ability of the brain to remember things in the short term.
Repeated exposure to alcohol can cause long-term damage, making it difficult to learn new things and hold onto knowledge and memories. Teens who abuse alcohol are significantly more likely to experience repeated absences from school as well as failing grades and dropping out from school.
Poor Judgment and Impulse Control
The prefrontal lobe is the area of the brain responsible for decision making, impulse control, language development, judgment, and planning capabilities. This area of the brain changes the most during the teenage years, and research has indicated that teens who drink heavily have smaller prefrontal lobes than their non-drinking peers. This can lead to impaired problem-solving skills and poor judgment, including a predisposition to illegal activity. If your teen is being charged with a crime due to their drinking, Athenscriminallawyer.com and similar firms can help minimize the impact of any impending charges.
Depression and Other Mental Illness
Teens who abuse alcohol are more likely to become victims of assault, homicide, or suicide. Alcohol is a depressant that causes decrease in muscle control, sleep disruption, confusion, and many other problems. All of these issues may predispose teens to be more prone to various mental health diseases, such as clinical depression and bi-polar disorder.
Adolescence is a time in which the brain is going through rapid and significant changes in structure, connectivity, and physiology. Disrupting these natural processes causes disruption of normal growth, learning, and sexual development. A teenager’s body and brain are simply not equipped to cope with and process alcohol the same as an adult’s is. Make sure the teens in your life understand the severe risks they open themselves and others up to by consuming alcohol and encourage them to make safe and healthy choices.
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