Teens and Alcohol

Blog #2 - September 21, 2009

The immense exposure of alcohol to America's youth is unavoidable. Between the media's glamorization and our cultural acceptance of cocktails after work or a cold beer on a summer day, alcohol is a part of our daily lives. Alcohol may only be legally sold to adults over the age of 21, but its appeal is sold to all ages. Teens experiment with alcohol for a variety of reasons, like curiosity, boredom, and peer pressure, yet they lack the full capacity to understand the ramifications of their actions. Educating adolescents about the physical, mental, and behavioral impact of alcohol abuse is just as important as any other drug prevention program, if not more so, because of the everyday presence of alcohol in our lives.

Alcohol is a commonly abused substance by teens because of its accessibility factor compared to other drugs. Because alcohol has age restrictions, rather than being outlawed completely, like marijuana or cocaine, many teens have access to it in their own homes or through friends. The adolescent or teenage years are a period of transition and experimentation in the social lives of young people, however, what many do not realize is that these are also years of significant cognitive growth. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), alcohol exposure during these years is damaging to brain development, as well as putting teens at risk for alcohol dependence later in their lives.

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reports that 1 in 5 American adults grew up with an alcoholic in the home. The inevitable desensitization to alcohol with those who have been as intensely exposed as children whose parents are alcoholics is dangerous because of the potential to develop a lackadaisical attitude toward it, as well as having easy access. NIAAA found that individuals who start drinking before the age of 15 are 4 times more likely to develop alcohol dependence compared to those who start drinking at age 20 or older. This statistic paired with the risk of having a family history of alcoholism poses great potential for issues with alcohol abuse for teen drinkers.

The sentiment that "drugs are bad" is constantly reinforced in children and teens today; however, many do not realize that young people are more likely to die as a result of underage alcohol use than all the other illegal drugs combined. Drunk driving , suicide, unsafe sex, and violence are just some of the dangerous behaviors associated with alcohol consumption. A University of Washington study found that the rates of binge drinking (5 or more drinks in one sitting for boys, 4 or more for girls) among 8th graders were almost 40% lower in areas with an educational prevention system than in communities with no prevention system in place for teens. Although teens are not fully physically and mentally developed, they are much more likely to make good choices if exposed to the education of the dangers of drinking.