Your parents do it, Why shouldn't you?

Figure 1. You Drinking
Retrieved from: google images

 Alcohol can be scary. It can have serious side effects and repercussions for the person drinking and also increases the likelihood of harming somebody while they're drunk. So why do your parents, along with many other adults, drink it so often? Even though alcohol can be very dangerous, it can also be a good way to relax after a long day or celebrate an occasion. This could be some of the reasons adults drink but it does not mean that you should! You need to be informed of the facts and dangers of drinking alcohol before you ever make the decision to actually drink.

What does it mean for me?

You might have a lot of questions about the effects of alcohol and the consequences long-term usage could have. But what's the big deal? If you look at figure (1), it explains how alcohol is a toxin and your liver is pivotal in filtering out these toxins. For every (one) drink you have, It takes your liver about one hour to filter and process out the toxins of just that one drink. This becomes a problem when teens and adults engage in binge drinking. Binge drinking is the act of drinking large amounts of alcohol at a time and can be very dangerous and lead to people engaging in risky behaviors or to harm others while they are drunk. 


Along with immediate consequences, drinking alcohol can have serious long-term effects on your body such as cancers, liver disease, heart disease, and a boat-load of other symptoms and diseases. A lot of us see our parents and other adults drinking and think, why can't I drink that too? Well, there's a good reason for that. Drinking alcohol when you're young and still physically and mentally developing can be a serious problem and lead to developmental problems and cognitive issues. According to research, "Drinking during this critical growth period can lead to lifelong damage in brain function, particularly as it relates to memory, motor skills (ability to move) and coordination"(Drug Free World, 2017). Drinking at a young age can more easily lead to alcohol dependence, in which causing you to drink more, and more drinking could lead to drunk driving. 

Figure 2. Underage Drinking Stats
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Drunk driving is one of the riskiest behaviors teens and adults engage in and teens are extremely likely to drink and drive. This is one of the worst things you could do especially if you were to drink illegally and under age. Driving under the influence impairs your judgment It is completely unnecessary and is only a danger to you and everyone else who is driving on the road. In figure (2), you can see how nearly a 1/3 of the drunk driving deaths happens to teens 16-20 and nearly 1 in 6 teens binge drink. That's like how in your school]]]]]]]

Minimum Drinking Age?

Another question you might be thinking about is what about the drinking age in other places around the world =? Well actually the minimum age limit is different all around the world and some countries don't allow anyone to drink alcohol at all! Some Islamic Nations don't allow alcohol to be drank in their country because of their religious text prohibiting the drinking of wine; The Qura'an. Other countries though sometimes have a much lower limit than the U.S. In countries where the required age limit is below ours (usually 18 years old), binge drinking is much less prevalent among teens and younger adults which decrease the amounts of alcohol-related deaths and the amounts of young adults drinking. One reason people might often think that this is the case is because the lower drinking age makes alcohol less attractive to younger people since they are around it much longer and often and are typically more desensitized to the temptations of binge drinking The age limit of drinking alcohol is highly debated and there are many arguments for both sides but either way it does not change the dangerous reality of underage binge drinking. 


A lot of people have been and will continue to be affected by alcohol negatively, but don't worry! There is a way to avoid this. By making smart and informed decisions on anything you ever put in your body and the consequences of your actions. Alcohol is really not as simple as it looks and can be a very dangerous drink if not handled responsibly. Being informed about the effects and dangers of alcohol is half the battle in making a smart and responsible decision. Don't become another statistic! 

References

(1) (2017, April 20) Alcoholic drink. Wikipedia. 

Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholic_drink

(2) YOUNG PEOPLE VERSUS ADULTS. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? (2017). Retrieved May                 03, 2017, from http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/alcohol/understanding-affects-on-                   body.html