Teenager Alcohol Abuse & Health Risks

According to MedicineNet.com, alcohol is the substance most commonly abused by teenagers. More than 50 percent of teenagers in junior high and high school have consumed alcohol, with 8 percent of those admitting to binge drinking on occasion. Teenagers who abuse alcohol may compromise their health.

• Is your teenager abusing alcohol?

Attention Deficit

• Teenagers who abuse alcohol may experience problems with attention and the ability to focus. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' studies show that prolonged drinking may cause debilitating long-term, and possibly permanent, damage to the brain.

Pregnancy and Sexually-Transmitted Diseases

• Teenagers who regularly abuse alcohol have higher rates of engaging unprotected sex. This could lead to unplanned pregnancies in girls and sexually transmitted diseases in both girls and boys. Alcohol also is considered the most prevalent date-rape drug affecting young women.

Depression

• Because alcohol is a depressant, it may mask emotional issues in teenagers. Teenagers who regularly abuse alcohol may experience more anxiety, depression and even suicidal tendencies than those who do not.

Alcohol Poisoning

• Teenagers who abuse alcohol by binge drinking risk alcohol poisoning, which can be life-threatening. Alcohol poisoning also affects the body's gag reflex, which may lead to teenagers choking on their vomit and dying.

Physical Health Risks

• Teenagers who abuse alcohol are more apt to be overweight than teens who abstain from alcohol. This is caused by the high caloric content in alcoholic drinks. Besides potential damage to the brain, alcohol abuse can also cause liver damage in teenagers.

Drinking and Driving Deaths

• According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, underage drinking drivers cause almost 1,100 deaths every year.