Brittany Bettencourt
Ashley Campbell
Juan Andrade
Instructor Sylvia Morales
ENG 11A
April 2, 2015 Drinking Alcohol: Negative Effects Get the Buzz: The Effects of Alcohol in Adolescence A topic that isn’t lightly handled is the consumption of alcohol and when it's appropriate to start consuming it. In todays world, the use of alcohol seems to play a bigger role in juveniles and young adults lives than it ever did in history. More and more of these young people seek to alcohol on an everyday basis because they simply want to enhance their “fun” or because “they have nothing better to do.” Little do they know that they are actually causing more damage to themselves and their community than ever imagined. The consumption of alcohol causes bigger effects than a simple hangover that cures itself within a day, but more serious side effects that can leave a permanent mark. Juveniles and young adults should think twice before picking up a alcoholic drink due to the fact that it affects their body negatively, may lead to addiction, and can possible cause harm to themselves and others around them.
Alcohol is the main reason why young adults suffer from loss of brain cells, experience social problems, and the list goes on. In the article
The GenderSpecific Association between Age at First Drink and Later Alcohol Drinking Patterns in Korea, written by Minsun Kang, JaeHyun
Kim, WooHyun Cho, and EunCheol Park, it specifically says “starting to drink at an early age may lead to prolonged neurobiological effects specific to the adolescent brain including various cognitive and social problems as well as binge drinking in adulthood” (1). The brain of any person is not fully developed until the age of 24. This means that the brain is still developing when juveniles and young adults consume alcohol. This can strongly cause negative effects to the growth. Studies have shown that significant relationships between the age of first drink and the risk for unintentional injury with the use of alcohol and drugs. When consuming alcohol whether it’s a few drinks or one, a person automatically feels a little warm, may have slurred speech, isn’t capable of walking straight, their vision might be blurry, and have many other effects. This doesn’t just affect their body for a short period of time but can permanently cause damage over time especially when binge drinking. The heart and brain is the most important parts on our bodies. Alcohol affects both. Since alcohol is a strong drink, this kills brain cells because it’s causing damage to any person, especially juveniles and young adults. When the brain isn’t fully developed, that causes more of a bigger issue. Juveniles and young adults brain is still trying to develop and grow but the use of alcohol slows this process and kills more brain cells than what the brain is trying to produce. Alcohol can also cause social problems due to the
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fact that juveniles and young adults feel like they need alcohol to be able to be social with their peers. Popularity and having lots of friends seems to be everything at a young age. Acceptance is what keeps juveniles and young adults going. Studies shown that juveniles and young adults use alcohol to be social and have confidence. Without acceptance from their peers, young adults and juveniles might feel this emptiness. This feeling of emptiness may lead to emotional problems that can potentially lead to suicide. Not fitting in or not being popular without alcohol in the picture raises the chances of depression, thoughts of suicide, emotional problems,and other sorts of issues. This is a mental illness due to the chemical imbalance in the brain.
In the article
Effects of the Minimum Legal Drinking Age on AlcoholRelated Health
Service Use in Hospital Settings in Ontario: A RegressionDiscontinuity Approach, written by
Russell C.
