Many parents nowadays are not aware of the dangers of alcohol to young people. There are many negative effects of underage drinking. On one side is the physiological effect on the brain. The other side involve behavioural problems.
Underage Drinking Causes Brain Damage
On the physical side, young people exposed to alcohol have the tendency to have underdeveloped brains. Young people have to develop the frontal lobe and hippocampus. This brain part is responsible for motivation, memory and impulse control. Imagine if development is incomplete or there is damage at a young age. When a person starts alcoholic drinking at a young age there is a great possibility that this development will be stunted. Brain damage can occur and giving the individual problems with memory and control at a later age.
Intoxication Causes Behavioural Problems
What happens to a person when he or she gets intoxicated with alcohol? We have all seen a drunken person swaying, vomiting and doing all sorts of things that a normal person would not do.
Due to the effects of alcohol in the body and brain, when an individual has had too much of it, the emotions get affected. The person:
‧ Loses self-respect
‧ Does foolish act like crying out loud
‧ Goes into "war" mode and in trouble with other people
‧ Says something that will cause harm or pain to others
These acts happen when alcohol intoxication takes away the inhibitions and fears of the person.
In young people, this behaviour may be taken in as "cool" by peers thus encouraging binge drinking to get into such state. The habit continues until it can no longer be stopped and the young person becomes a full-fledged alcoholic.
For these behavioural situations alone, underage drinking should not be given support by parents, relatives and other adults.
Other Dangers of Underage Drinking
In Australia where the legal alcohol drinking age is 18, their statistics show that 13% of death in the 13-17 year old bracket is from alcohol-related accidents. It is estimated that 1 Australian teenager dies and another 60 gets injured because of alcohol. These figures are now on the rise everyday.
Young people are prone to be heavy alcohol drinkers in a short space of time. This results in early alcohol abuse and feeling the effects at an early time. Alcohol-related harm is said to be a leading cause of disease and injury in young people today. This includes driving under the influence and getting into an accident, violent behaviour, rape and unwanted pregnancies.
What You Can Do
There is no doubt that underage drinking have more harm on young people than being an accepted social norm. Young people tend to do things to prove that they are already adults or as a form of rebellion.
If you have a teenager who is beginning to explore alcohol drinks, the best approach is to talk to this person about its danger. Do not expose children to alcohol in the home. As a responsible adult, you should not get intoxicated when there are children around. Good adult behaviour is the most effective example to young people.
Communication is vital so always be open when the younger person asks questions. Be firm on the "no alcohol including beer" policy in your home. This is an imposition that you will not regret having and keeps children safe.
For more discussions about underage drinking, visit http://underagedrinking.com.au/