Underage Drinking | The Dangers of Alcohol
Posted on 08. Jun, 2011 by admin in Youth
Alcohol is socially accepted for it allows drinkers in social gatherings to lose inhibitions and relax as they mingle with people. Young people are not aware that underage drinking is like digging their own graves. There are many negative effects to developing this habit at a young age.
In many parts of the world today, including Australia, alcoholic drinks are considered harmless and so people indulge in binge drinking. Binge drinking by teenagers occur because parents do not care to reprimand or give caution about it.
Dangers of Underage Drinking
1. Alcohol leads to brain damage
The brain of a young person is still undergoing development especially in the frontal lobe and hippocampus. Complete development of this area plays an important role in motivation, memory, impulse control and addiction. When person start drinking at a young age, the possibility that development will be stunted is great. Brain damage is not going to be obvious for the damage needs time be become apparent. The effect will be felt once the person will be older.
2. Alcohol is emotionally harmful
Due to binge drinking, the individual’s emotions are affected which is shown by the following behaviour:
- Loses self- respect
- Acts like a fool
- Damages his reputation
- Gets in trouble with parents, police / authorities
- Causes conflict with friends
- Does something regrettable and
- Becomes worried, feels ashamed and hurt from actions committed.
3. Alcohol is physically harmful
Sane people do not take anything voluntarily that causes harm to their physical well-being. Here are the harmful effects of alcohol:
- Experiences a hang-over the next day manifested by vomiting and feeling terrible.
- Passing our because of an overdose.
- Becomes overly aggressive causing a person to injure himself or even to die because he gets into fights, accident prone and loses equilibrium.
- Begins damaging his brain
- Becomes extremely depressed and anxious.
Say No to Underage Drinking
Drinking is a matter of choice. You can either say no or yes. Don’t allow peer pressure to get to you.
If someone invites you to drink, you can say “no” . Below are some reasons that you can give why you can not drink alcohol:
- I am a participant in the sports contest.
- My parents do not approve and I will surely get in trouble with them.
- I don’t want to make a fool of myself when I get drunk.
- I like to act like a sane and normal person.
- I’m the family driver this week.
- I want to remain sober and sane.
- Our activities are more fun without alcohol.
- My girlfriend does not approve of my drinking.
Drinking is no big deal and does not add anything to your stature. Girls have preference to those who are non-drinkers.
There is always a time for everything. When you get into adulthood and your brain has fully developed then you can indulge in drinking alcohol. By that time, you are also in better control of yourself and will be more discipline in your alcohol intake.
The Next Alcohol Drinking Invitation
The next time someone invites you for a couple of drinks, be reminded of the negative effects of alcohol. Underage drinking is not “cool” at all and is dangerous to you, your health and to others around you.
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