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Alcohol is illegal under the age of 21...so why do so many teen's drink?
A product that is only legal for those that are 21 years of age, alcohol is a depressant. Adolescence is a transition time when the body is undergoing many significant changes, such as hormonal alterations and brain development. It is also a time when young people start to associate more with friends and associates beyond their childhood contacts. They feel an increased pressure to ‘fit in’ or ‘go along with the crowd’ in order to be accepted. These new circumstances can be confusing and difficult for the youth to understand and deal with. Often their ability to make correct or safe decisions is also at a stage of immaturity. Liquor is absorbed very rapidly into the blood stream from the stomach lining, in as short a time as 5 to 10 minutes and it’s effects last for several hours depending on the amount ingested and how quickly it was consumed. Females absorb liquor faster than males because their bodies contain less water. The water dilutes the ethanol and so the same amount of liquor will produce a higher concentration in the blood. Alcohol is created when grains, fruits, or vegetables are fermented. Fermentation is a process that uses yeast or bacteria to change the sugars in the food into ethanol. Fermentation is used to produce many necessary items — everything from cheese to medications. Ethanol has different forms and can be used as a cleaner, an antiseptic, or a sedative. In very small amounts, a cocktail can help a person feel more relaxed or less anxious. More drinks cause greater changes in the brain, resulting in intoxication. People who have had too much to drink may stagger, lose their coordination, and slur their speech. They will probably be confused and disoriented. Depending on the person, intoxication can make someone very friendly and talkative or very aggressive and angry. Reaction times are slowed dramatically. People who are intoxicated may think they're moving properly when they're not. They may act totally out of character. When large amounts of liquor are consumed in a short period of time, alcohol poisoning can result. Violent vomiting is usually the first symptom of alcohol poisoning. Extreme sleepiness, unconsciousness, difficulty breathing, dangerously low blood sugar, seizures, and even death may result. Many kids begin drinking as early as middle school or even sooner. Kids who drink are more likely to be victims of violent crime and sexual assault. They are more likely to have serious problems in school. They are more likely to be involved in drinking-related traffic crashes. They are also more likely to develop problems with alcoholism later in life. 
Some reasons that teens drink are:
From a very young age, kids see advertising messages showing beautiful people enjoying life — and liquor. And because many parents and other adults use drinking socially — having beer or wine with dinner, for example — a drink seems harmless to many teens. It’s no secret that society gives children mixed messages about drinking. As a parent, you should know that underage drinking can have serious consequences. The teenage brain is still developing. Drinking too much can impair the parts of the brain that control the following:
But the risky behavior does not end there.
Parents can take the following steps to encourage their children to abstain from alcohol:
Although it's illegal to drink alcohol in the United States until the age of 21, most teens can get access to it. It's therefore up to you, as a parent, to tell your teens about the consequences of drinking. The punishment is severe. Teens who drink put themselves at risk for obvious problems with the law (it's illegal; you can get arrested). Teens who drink are also more likely to get into fights and commit crimes than those who don't. Teens who drink regularly also often have problems with school. Drinking can damage a student's ability to study well and get decent grades, as well as affect sports performance (the coordination thing). You can look really stupid. The impression is that drinking is cool, but the nervous system changes that come from drinking alcohol can make people do stupid or embarrassing things, like throwing up or peeing on themselves. Drinking also gives people bad breath, and no one enjoys a hangover. Alcohol puts your health at risk. Teens who drink are more likely to be sexually active and to have unsafe, unprotected sex. Resulting pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases can change — or even end — lives. The risk of injuring yourself, maybe even fatally, is higher when you're under the influence, too. One half of all drowning deaths among teen guys are related to alcohol use. Use of alcohol greatly increases the chance that a teen will be involved in a car crash, homicide, or suicide. Teen drinkers are more likely to get fat or have health problems, too. One study by the University of Washington found that people who regularly had five or more drinks in a row starting at age 13 were much more likely to be overweight or have high blood pressure by age 24 than their non drinking peers. People who continue drinking heavily well into adulthood risk damaging their organs, such as the liver, heart, and brain. If you think yout teen has a drinking problem, click here for a list of resources that provide help as soon as possible. For more information about talking with your teen about drinking, please click here. To Return to Teen Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Click Here
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