The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YBRSS) was implemented to monitor six major health risk behaviors that are contributing factors to the lead causes of mortality and morbidity. These six factors include: “(1) behavior contributing to unintentional injuries and violence; (2) sexual behaviors that include unintended pregnancy and the risk of HIV; (3) alcohol and other drug use; (4) tobacco use; (5) unhealthy dietary behaviors; and (6) inadequate physical activity.” (Youth In-Brief) The idea of this surveillance system is to monitor the behaviors of teens and determine the risk exposure each factor will cause to each individual. This paper will focus on the background information, methodology, and focus solely on the effects alcohol portrays on students and young adults. Background Information The YRBSS was created in the early 1990’s to successfully determine the health risk that today’s youth is facing. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention sponsors the impetus of this study. The YRBSS is “an epidemiologic survey system established by the CDC to monitor the prevalence of youth behavior that is influential in determining health risks.” (Youth In-brief) The population being monitored in these studies is youth within the high school age group (15-18) and young adults. The information gathered by the studies completed by the CDC and YRBSS is directly related to the long-term health risks that any young person may encounter. The information gathered does not simply measure and equate to one specific type of health outcome; however, it correlates to a wide variety including HIV, cancer, diseases, obesity, asthma, and death. (Youth In-Brief) The YRBSS uses a ... ... middle of paper ... ...e prone to binge drinking, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, and sexual encounters. As a young adult, I have seen the binge drinkers, drug abusers, and “one-night” stands and it is very evident that their health is at risk. The risk becomes HIV, death, or disease; therefore, if the CDC wishes to add and implement any changes to their surveys adding ages up to 30 years old will increase their data collection and improve their results tremendously. This change could be a great idea to help these young adults whom may soon be parents to teach and guide their kids into living a healthier lifestyle. This paper opened my eyes on the effects our body and mind consume when consuming alcohol. The opportunity to learn and research about the surveys done is fascinating and I believe with the right people America can strive to achieve its goal of becoming a healthier nation in 2020.
“Beyond Hangovers: Understanding Alcohol's Impact Your Health.” Bethesda, MD: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2010. Print.
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.
There are an estimated 3.3 million teen-age alcoholics in the United States. Adolescents who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcoholism than those who begin drinking at age 21. Youth who drink alcohol are five times more likely to smoke cigarettes, four times more likely to smoke marijuana, and three times more likely to use an illicit drug. Teens that use alcohol tend to become sexually active at earlier ages. Teens who use alcohol are more likely to be victims of violent crimes such as aggravated assault, robbery or rape.
Alcoholism comes with many problems and consequences that are dangerous for young teens. In America the average age for a girl’s first drink is thirteen, and for a boy it’s eleven. Young teens that drink are more likely to do with or
Using fear, while not aggressively, Silveri highlights the fact that excessive alcohol consumption is the third leading leading cause of preventable death. The author discusses this topic in a way that seems to be to scare anybody she is trying to convince. A mother reading this could worry about her daughter, or a young man in college who drinks often could take his drinking habits far more seriously after reading something like that. Also, ending the article on an optimistic note, she allows the reader to have some hope. Silveri mentions the reduction of maladaptive alcohol use through better recognition of the negative tendencies that comes with alcohol abuse in adolescents. (Adolescent Brain Development and Underage Drinking in the United States: Identifying Risks of Alcohol Use in College
The Atlant Public School System intends to develop a health program that addresses the dangers of drinking alcohol through particial replication of two established preventive programs for te...
Researchers have found many risk factors for drinking among teens and young adults. Adolescents long to have fun, and enjoy their youth years as much as they can. They reach out for things that make them feel older and more alive. Little do they know that the result of alcohol is detrimental to a fun easy-going lifestyle. According to Deborah Morrow (2017), binge drinking is when someone abuses alcohol, and they go over the 5/4 limit in two hours or less. The 5/4 limit is just an explanation that he or she is binge drinking if a man has more than five drinks, and a woman has more than four over a two hour period. Allowing teenagers to unknowingly throw away their lives is a problem. Recently they have found that
This article is aimed towards a large study to estimate the global burden of disease attributable to alcohol. The article tries to identify the relationships between average volume consumption, patterns of drinking, disease, and injury outcomes. The article also gives many numbers to back up its points.
According to Windle et al. (2009) adolescents between the ages of 10 and 15 are beginning to consume alcohol. Adolescents are going through puberty at this stage. This means that they are experiencing greater emotional mood swings, greater emotions when dealing with emotional events, and tend to break more rules and exhibit rule breaking behaviors (Windle, et al., 2009). 19.5 percent of 8th graders and 42.1 percent of 10th graders reported having been drunk in their lifetime (Windle, et al., 2009). It is said that the adolescents that consistently drink through this period of time are more likely to have a harder time transitioning into adulthood (Zhong, et al., 2010).
Alcohol is the drug most frequently used and abused by adolescents in the USA and in the Netherlands. In the USA, 56% of students aged 15 and 16 years reported using alcohol and 34% reported having been drunk in the past year. (Ross) Just think about it 15 and 16 year olds drinking imagine when they are 21 years of age they are most likely to become a big disaster. Which, that becomes to be very bad for you because you don’t want your kid to become an alcoholic.
Smith, Karen. “Alcohol Use by youth and Adolescents: A Pediatric Concern.” Pediatric American Academy of Pediatrics. 12 April, 2010. Web. 26 March, 2014. .
Saitz, Richard, M.D. "Unhealthy Alcohol Use." New England Journal of Medicine (2005): 596. Web. 7 Apr. 2014.
transcends into adulthood (Casey, 2008). During adolescence there are examinable changes in various areas of life. These changes occur physically as the adolescent goes through puberty, as well as psychological changes where high emotional reactivity emerges, and social development is at its height (Casey, 2008). Adolescents are more likely than adults or children to engage in risky behaviour that can subsequently lead to death or illness by drunk driving, carrying weapons, using illegal drugs, and engaging in unprotected sex, which in turn can lead to STD’s and teenage pregnancies (Eaton, 2006). The prior is proof that adolescents do engage in risky behaviour. Through this essay we will explore the various theories of why risky behaviour is at its height during adolescence.
Alcohol abuse is the most common problem, nowadays. In fact, majority of people drink alcohol repeatedly to the point where they have difficulty to stop. Statistics show that, as much as, “40% of college students report drinking five or more drinks in one episode” (Walters & Baer, 2006). Alcohol has become more popular over the years as advertisements, simultaneously with commercials of it, filled the media. It also is easily accessible and cheap in comparison to other psychoactive substances. On the other hand, alcohol safety awareness programs are barely noticeable. My research will present how alcohol and its abuse gets into people’s lives and how it influences their physical and mental health, as well as, social existence.
As a result of underage drinking, 5,000 adolescents under the age of 21 die annually due to intoxication (taking motor vehicle crashes, homicides, suicides, and other injuries while intoxicated into consideration) (paragraph 2). Later in life, underage drinkers are more likely to develop alcoholism, poor performance in school, and risky sexual behavior (paragraph 43). Although this research is not opposed to my argument, there is an importance to acknowledging it as proof of dangerous, underage drinking occurring significantly regardless of whether it is illegal. More importantly, this research stems from adolescents drinking without the supervision of adults and in uncontrolled quantities. Since adolescents must wait a long period of time to drink legally, I believe they fear they must take advantage of drinking opportunities by excess drinking and risk of safety due to their restriction to alcohol. Based on this mindset, I believe exposure to alcohol at a younger age in controlled environments would not only decrease underage drinking in large quantities, but injury and death related to intoxication, as