Drugs such as alcohol have an effect on all users, regardless of their age; however, alcohol has an especially harmful effect on teens since their bodies are still developing. Studies have shown that alcohol has numerous negative effects on a teen’s body and mental health; for example, a study conducted by the Center of Disease Control and Prevention stated that “alcohol consumption affects the brain’s frontal lobes, which is essential for functions such as emotional regulations, planning, and organization” (“Age”). Teens already have high emotions and difficulties planning and organizing; alcohol will only enhance teens’ struggle. The Center of Disease Control and Prevention also found that alcohol consumption at a young age can potentially cause chronic problems such as memory loss, depression, suicidal thoughts, and poor decision making (“Age”). Teens have a difficult enough time making decisions and organizing their lives, but adding alcohol to the mix will only make matters worse; their bodies are still developing, and they are still learning to be adults.
The drinking age is at 21 but, some are voting to bring down to 18. The drinking age starts at 21 for a reason and needs to stay where it is. Alcohol is poisonous at any age but, it can be more harmful to a developing brain and a teenager finding a new life. It’s extremely easy to numb the annoyance of life with alcohol and many people have become addicted to the escape. In this country our children are not ready to drink at 18, we have a different system and different children.
Why drinking age should be lowered? If one is considered an adult at age eighteen in most of the country, are they not allowed to purchase and legally consume alcohol? The minimum legal drinking age needs to be lowered, and not just for that reason. The amount of teenagers with drinking problems and alcoholism is far greater than in Europe, where drinking ages are far lower. Also, studies show that the current minimum age drinking laws have been ineffective to a high degree. By the time they are high school seniors, seventy-two percent teenagers say they have already consumed alcohol. Proper education at younger ages is needed for our country’s youth to learn the proper use of alcohol through experimentation with their own limits in safe environments.
It is easy for teens to come up with a reason as to why they began drinking because they have been asked so many times. Escobedo, Cherba, and Waweiler states, “Established patterns of alcohol use may play a major role in decision making that proceeds to drinking and driving among adolescents” (976). Therefore, drinking should not be for everyone if you don’t know the full consequences and don’t know how to maintain your liquor. Here are three main reasons why teens do alcohol or any other drug for that matter. Cristol states, “teens blame their parents for half of their reason for drinking, 29 % blame their peer group, 2.5 % blame the media, and 2% blame the alcohol industry”(15).
Today in the United States about 4,358 people under the age of 21 years old die each year from alcohol-related car crashes, homicides, suicides, alcohol poisoning, and other injuries such as falls, burns, and even drowning. More than 190,000 people under the age of 21 visited an emergency room for alcohol related reasons in 2008 alone. Alcohol related motor vehicle crashes kill someone every 31 minutes and non-fatally injure someone every two minutes. That’s a lot of people gone because they wanted to go out and party and not think about the consequences ahead. In this essay I’m gonna give you information to why Underage Drinking is very very bad for you.
Drunk driving is a serious problem that continues to take thousands of deaths each year. Too many innocent lives been lost to drunk driving. A death from drunk driving does not only affect the victim but it affects everyone around them such as family and friends. One night, one drink, one mistake is all it takes for drunk driving to take its toll. There are many solutions to prevent drunk driving, but they will only work if we put them into play.
It apears that children who exprienced drinking at young age will also continously and habitually drink in the future once they grow up. They do not simple do this occasionally but it has become a frequent and habitual addiction (Christiansen et al. 7). In totality, drinking alcoholic beverages of teenagers is not is unhealthy, unsafe, and unacceptable. More and likely teens that drink are trailing behind in their education because of how alcohol affects them so bad. Some parents allow their children drink alcoholic beverages under certain circumstances with their
Throughout human history, there has been many different problems that people have faced and conquered. Alcoholism is an issue that still continues to give trouble to its victims today. The availability of alcohol is a key factor in the consistent increase of alcoholism cases. The only limitation to buying alcohol it is being the age of twenty-one. Even then, teens and young adults still manage to get their hands on alcohol frequently.
Teens and drinking have been an issue for some time and it continues to persist, attracting many young individuals. Whether it’s the pleasure or the ability to forget problems drinking as a teen has become a problem in society with many alcohol related issues. However, that sensation of being able to forget problems soon enters a cycle of many other issues such as consequences to the physical development and to the body itself, which is not able to handle the alcohol properly. In addition, soon the early admission of the depressant becomes and an addictive factor which can lead to alcoholism since the body constantly craves the substance. Teens and drinking has continued to progress over the years and the depressant has consumed many lives.
“There’s No Benefit to Lowering the Drinking Age” explains, on average about eleven teens die daily as a result of drunk driving (Voas 464). When teens throw a party, alcohol is usually involved. Then once the party is over the kids have to get home somehow and they often drive themselves. When an alcoholic drink is placed in an eighteen-year-old hand decisions are made that harm them and others
Responsibility is one of the keywords to remember when consuming alcohol. Anything could happen when you 're under the influence, death, rape, and many more life-altering occurrences. One huge potential life-altering thing that could happen to you is brain damage. Drinking at a younger age increases the risk of brain damage. This is the only potentially bad risk that comes with drinking, but if consumed responsibly it will be okay
Alcohol abuse and alcoholism seems like an issue that keeps getting increasingly worse each year in the United States. According to USA Today and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention both say that approximately 6 people die from alcohol poisoning, caused from binge drinking, each day, which amounts to roughly 2,200 people each year. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says that “In 2013 an estimated 697,000 adolescents ages 12–17 (2.8 percent of this age group) had an [alcohol use disorder]” (“Alcohol Facts”). Something has to stop and something has to change from preventing this more because 6 people dying each day from binge drinking alone is a lot, not to mention that 12-17 year olds are having alcohol problems at such a young age. Lowering the drinking age will enforce this act even more, promoting more drinking in fact.
Growing up with an alcoholic dad showed me the damage that addiction has not only on the individual, but also on the people around. I have seen my mother cry because my dad would rather get drunk than spend time with us. I have seen my father unable to walk or talk. When my dad is drunk, he is a completely different person, short-temper and
The current alcohol laws both statewide and nationwide, prove unsuccessful and a more efficient way to handle the situation is to educate teens about alcohol to influence them to make wise
ALCOHOLISM How many times have you heard about the consequences of alcoholism? Have you taken them into account? Alcoholism is one of the major problems in society. People don’t take it so seriously but it actually is a disease. The effects of this disease are really serious.