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I asked my fifteen year-old brother what he would like to learn about if he could pick anything and I was surprised when he said he wanted to learn about the effects of alcohol on the body. While searching the internet for the perfect site, I came across a government website called TheCoolSpot.gov. This website is designed specifically for teenagers to learn about the effects of alcohol, and it contains facts about abusing alcohol at an early age. It allows them to take quizzes to test their knowledge about alcohol use. Additionally, if a teenager or someone close to them feels that they have a problem, there is a link that directs them to other sites for support, advice about group support such as Alcoholics Anonymous, and even treatment centers for teens who want to quit drinking. The purpose of teaching alcohol awareness to teenagers is to inform them of the short-term and long-term effects that alcohol has on the body, describe how using alcohol at a young age can lead to other self-destructive behaviors, and empower them to resist peer pressure to drink alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant, which means that once ingested it slows down your brain function and can actually block messages sent by your body to your brain. “Short term effects include altered perception, vision, emotions, and impaired judgment. Long term health effects from consuming alcohol include cirrhosis (when your liver cannot function like it’s supposed to), vitamin deficiencies, heart damage, and a high risk of overdosing” (Teen Health). These are serious problems that can be greatly reduced by implementing alcohol awareness programs with teenagers. Education about alcohol awareness for teenagers is important now more than ever, because the incidence of ... ... middle of paper ... ...l better, but only hurts you, especially if you start drinking young because of the likelihood of becoming an alcoholic. I’m glad that he wanted to learn about this because he is a freshman at a new high school, so he is in a situation where he is trying to fit in and he is dealing with peer pressure. I feel confident that he will abstain from drinking because he now has a better understanding of the effects of alcohol, what drinking alcohol can lead to and how to say no. References TeenHealth from Nemours. (2009). Alcohol. Retrieved January 27, 2011 from http://kidshealth.org/teen/drug_alcohol/alcohol/alcohol.html# B.E.(2001). TeenInk. Retrieved January 27, 2011 from http://www.teenink.com/nonfiction/all/article/2001/Underage-Drinking/ Hockenberry, M., & Wilson, D. (2007). Wong's nursing care of infants and children. St. Louis, Missouri: Mosby Elsevier.
Adolescents tend to find ways to let out their emotions and try to escape their problems, and this unfortunately leads them to make poor decisions that hurt them more than they know that it would be. Alcohol actually is a depressant because it slows down the function of the central nervous system and it cause people to lose coordination and not be able to think straight.
According to Men’s Health, “alcohol kills more teenagers and young people than any of the other drugs taken to affect mood and behavior (heroin, cocaine, marijuana).” This issue interests me due to the many friends I have who drink overwhelmingly. Also, I have so many cousins that are younger than me that I am concerned about with this issue. There are many reasons to why teens may drink, not all of which are reasonable but is the truth, from what I know. Teen drinking can also result in very many mishaps that are mostly a terrible consequence.
...His mother is a recovering alcoholic so he was familiar with what happened when he would lose control when he drank. His mother was very aware of the signs. His grades went down, he started skipping classes, he lied to his mother, he was hanging out with friends who drank a lot and were always in trouble. Fortunately, he was given a second chance and he is in a program that is helping him recover. Teen drinking and alcoholism can be treated if treatment is started early. There is no known cure for alcoholism, but alcoholics can lead productive lives with help. There are many organizations that can help alcoholics such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). and Rational Recovery Systems. There are also organizations that promote abstinence from drinking such as S.A.D.D. (Students Against Drunk Driving) and M.A.D.D. (Mothers Against Drunk Driving). It is important for parents to be aware of what their children are doing and who their friends are. Teenagers need to continue to be educated on the effects of alcohol and the dangerous situations it causes.
The article "Alcohol Abuse is a Serious Problem for Teenagers," was written by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The article states, "Nearly four million young people suffer from alcohol dependence," and the average age at which children begin to drink is as early as 13. The article goes on to say that the number of children who experiment with alcohol has been rising steadily over the years. The article points out the unfortunate effects of drinking which range from an array of physical illnesses like liver problems and cancer. From the article we learn that because teenagers tend to indulge in binge drinking, they are at higher risk to suffer the consequences of alcohol consumption. According to the article these consequences include developmental problems like lack of growth, a reduced ability to learn, and to psychological problems like depression and suicidal tendencies. Alcohol abuse in turn leads to social problems which include dropping out of school, robbery, and "risky sexual behavior." We learn that alcohol serves as a "gateway-drug," leading to more addictive drugs like cocaine. The article substantiates this claim by citing a study conducted by the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. The article also touches on the problem of alcohol used by parents though the primary focus of this piece is about teenage drinking. The purpose of the article is to jolt readers into an awareness of the magnitude of the problem of teenage drinkiing. Most people know that teenagers like to experiment, try the new and forbidden, but the Center assumes that no one is fully aware of how serious this problem can be if it is not addressed.
As one of the major social problem, underage drinking can cause negative affect on both teenagers themselves and the whole society. Based on the research, approximately 190,000 youth under 21 visited emergency room for alcohol related hurts, even I accompanied one of my friends to ICU for alcohol poisoning nearly month ago. Annually about 5000 individuals under 21 die from it, not including other mature people directly or indirectly killed by them. Meanwhile, child’s brain and emotional developments are still in process until 20s so that taking alcohol will produce great damage on their body health. For example, alcohol can interfere with children’s capacity to build new, short, and lasting memories of information because it shrinks hippocampus about 10
The article “Adolescent Brain Development and Underage Drinking in the United States: Identifying Risks of Alcohol Use in College Populations” written by Marisa Silveri, PhD, aims to emphasize the the negative behavioral consequences with underage alcohol use. Silveri is a highly decorated professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, who has been studying the neurobiology of brain development and consequences of alcohol and drug abuse using preclinical and clinical models for two decades. Her substantial background in psychology and neurobiology make her a highly credible source, and improves the author’s chance of making the point really stick. The article is easy to follow, and split up in subcategories that each cover a specific point the author is trying to make. Professor Silveri, with great credibility, uses logic and also emotional appeal to effectively convince the reader that alcohol use affects the brain negatively, and the importance to discourage the excessive consumption of alcohol by adolescents.
Overuse of alcohol is becoming a large problem across the United States of America. Drinking is always considered a problem if it is not being done responsibly or in moderation. Teenagers that choose to drink illegally usually drink as much as they can hold; in result, parts of their memory can disappear. Teenagers do not drink in moderation; as a result, they drink much more than they can handle just to be “cool” in front of their friends. Drinking can be a problem in all ages, but the most problems arise in the younger generation. Teenagers drinking are not only harming themselves but also the surrounding lives. Lowering the drinking age would cause a significant increase in school drop-outs and even deaths. Teenagers do not think about how
This article speaks of adolescent alcohol use and abuse. It examines the lack of research done on adolescent health issues and the current knowledge of the consequences of adolescent alcohol consumption. The article also presents strategies on how to inform and clarify the issues of adolescent alcohol abuse.
A lot of the time, teens think it is ‘cool’ to drink because everyone else does it. Almost every television show that young people watch have some underage substance abuse, leading adolescents to believe that it can’t be that bad. While society plays a big part in this huge problem, both teens and parents need to learn that there can be severe consequences from as little as one drink. Allowing them to think this kind of behavior is acceptable will haunt them for the rest of their lives, even if they are not alcohol related. Believing that such behavior is acceptable now will lead them to bad decision-making skills in the future when faced with an ethical decision. Teens need to know the major effects can come from underage drinking before going to that party or when being pressured into something they may not be willing to participate in. It is obvious that the long and short-term effects of alcohol abuse can be easily avoided by getting educated and thinking before engaging in any self-destructive
Growing popularity of alcohol is one of the many problems in the community, especially among those who are younger than twenty-one years old. Underage Drinking is a complex problem that has emerged to the society. Legislative laws limit the consumption of alcohol to youths under age of twenty-one. Though many teenagers start drinking during their high school years and continue throughout college. Also, the proportion of the underage drinkers in the United Sates is increasing at a huge rate. It may seem normal to many people. Yet, drinking at a younger age can cause a tremendous effect not only to the consumers, but also to the community. Thus, underage alcohol abuse should be reduced by more effective strategies in order to prevent the negative effects.
“Alcoholism” is a chronic disorder characterized by dependence on alcohol, repeated excessive use of alcoholic beverages, the development of withdrawal symptoms on reducing or ceasing intake, morbidity that may include cirrhosis of the liver, and decreased ability to function socially and vocationally (“Alcoholism”). Teens have dealt with alcohol and alcoholism for a long time. There are many reasons why teens get addicted to alcohol and many things that happen because of it. There are ways to get treatment. There are many things that teens can do themselves to avoid alcohol and there are many things we and our society can do to prevent teen’s access to alcohol. Peer pressure and teens access to alcohol can lead to the destruction of their lives, the lives of the people around them, and their relationships with the people around them. We need to take measures to prevent this from happening so that they have a chance to better our society, not worsen it.
Hockenberry, M. J., & Wilson, D. (2013). Wong’s nursing care of infants and children + study guide: Multimedia enhanced version. Philadelphia, PA, United States: Elsevier Mosby.
Underage drinking causes people to make bad decisions, such as; driving while intoxicated, becoming pregnant, and making a complete fool out of themselves. While intoxicated, are just being a few instances that can and will impact your life forever. Some individuals don’t understand what alcohol really does to the body. Beer has empty calories that will make you gain weight. Which is why a lot of alcoholics have larger stomachs, or another term many people use for these large stomachs is, “beer belly.” Some people may say that alcohol helps you escape your problems and is a stress relevant. Alcohol will not only bring more stress onto your life, it will also bring more problems. As much as people may feel alcohol helps, it really won’t help.
Alcohol is a very serious and dangerous drug, although it is not treated this way anymore. College students have taken drinking to a new level in which, for many, is very scary. Alcohol is much more dangerous than many would think. Kids see a night of drinking as a great way to have fun and party but do not see the consequences. Getting drunk and even blacking out can lead to many problems. When alcohol is consumed in unhealthy amounts, it can lead to not only short-term effects, but long-term ones as well.
As the current legal drinking age remains to be 21, adolescents today are increasingly drinking large amounts of alcohol behind the backs of others. Along with this being illegal, alcohol-related dangers within our youth like dependency, disease, and irresponsible behaviors are problems that many are finding ways to prevent by increasing awareness; some people have even suggested that raising the drinking age would be the ultimate solution. However, is the constant routine of warning adolescents and preventing them from drinking really working? Based on the vast number of anti-alcohol programs in schools and existing laws forbidding the use of underaged drinking, today, there are still increasing reports. Instead of repeatedly preventing our