The Health Effects of Alcohol Abuse Among Teenagers

Teenage alcohol abuse is a prevalent problem across the country and across the socio-economic spectrum. Teenage drinking is a pervasive example of how drug and alcohol abuse can adversely affect high school, home life and the health of the young drinker. Parental and societal approval and acceptance of alcohol use can influence a teenager's decision to start drinking.

Death

• Death is the most extreme health effect of teenage alcohol abuse. Alcohol poisoning is caused by drinking too much alcohol too fast. Binge drinking is a behavior that leads to alcohol overdose. Inexperienced teenage drinkers may not realize the differences in the strengths of different alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is a depressant that can kill kids by slowing their heart rate and slowing or stopping their breathing. While in an alcohol-induced coma, young drinkers can choke to death on their own vomit.

Sex

• Alcohol lowers inhibitions and impairs the judgment of inexperienced drinkers. This makes teenagers more susceptible to having unsafe sex. This behavior often involves multiple partners and a higher risk of unprotected sex. Teenagers may have sex with strangers or become victims of date rape. The consequences of alcohol abuse include teenager pregnancies and contracting sexually transmitted diseases. Alcohol can influence teenagers predisposed to violence and anti-social behavior to commit acts of sexual assault, including molestation and rape.

Mental Health

• Alcohol has negative health effects on the growing brains, nervous systems and developing mental capabilities of adolescents. Teenage drinking exacerbates and increases the severity of mental and emotional disorders such as depression, anxiety and cognitive impairment. School work and the teenager's social life suffer as a result. Teenagers often turn to alcohol to mask or escape a mental health problem. Alcohol use interacting with extreme stress or depression is a factor in many teenage suicides.

Alcoholism

• Unrestrained teenage drinking can lead to alcoholism or alcohol dependency. Studies by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism indicate that the younger a teenager starts drinking, the more they are at risk of developing a debilitating life-long habit. Teenagers who start to drink before the age of 15 are four times more likely to become addicted than those who wait until the age of 21. Teenage alcoholics are more likely to drink and drive, causing death and injury to themselves and others.