Binge Drinking: The Effect of Alcohol on the Teen Population

Alcohol is a drug. To hear teenagers comment that they "don't use drugs" when they "only use alcohol" is a serious misconception. What is interesting is that, statistically, teenagers are aware that alcohol is one of the most devastating drugs on the market, partly because it is not an illegal substance and, due to the addictive nature of the product, leads to lifelong health implications, even death.

In the United States, more than three million children and teenagers will begin using alcohol this year alone. For many of these teenagers, there is at least one parent in the home that consumes alcohol on a regular basis. Unfortunately, it can be this one parent who will show the teenager the first taste of alcohol and often begin the spiraling effect into a life of alcohol abuse.

The importance of controlling teenage consumption of alcohol lies in a combination of short term and long term affects. With children, as early as 12 years of age, beginning to consume alcohol, there is a national epidemic wherein over three million of our teenagers are impacted by this recreational product. Without control and education in the risks of alcohol consumption, many of these same teenagers will venture into college and enter into a realm of binge drinking, ultimately leading to criminal activity, more frequent incidences of sexual contact and associated risks to personal health and, possibly, the health of unborn children.

Because teenagers are not always familiar with the physiological changes associated with alcohol consumption, many will drink in excess to such a degree so as to move from a state of relaxation and reduced anxiety into a full blown state of drunkenness, often lacking the ability to stop drinking after just one or two alcoholic beverages.

With increased alcohol consumption, the teen will experience impaired mobility, impaired judgment and impaired control over emotions. It is an unfortunate fact but many teens, at a state of alcohol induced drunkenness, will get into a vehicle and begin driving, ultimately hurting not only themselves but others on the road.