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Juvenile Drinking


Drinking in teenagers is one of the biggest problems our society faces today. in fact alcohol is the most abused drug by teenagers statistics saying that 45% of High Schoolers chose to drink and 78% of seniors in High School have tried alcohol (Quick Stats Underage Drinking). One question you may want to think about when reading this article is, Why do so many teens choose to drink? Their are some who say that it's because of the peer pressure and others say it is because of family life, abuse at home, divorce etc. Most teens do not realize the mistake they are making when they choose to drink. It causes many life long problems, could lead to failing grades and increased absences from school. The scariest of them all might be death from alcohol poisoning and accidents in relation to drunk driving (Quick Stats Underage Drinking). In fact traffic crashes is the number one cause of death for people between the ages of 6-33 reporting that 45% of them were alcohol related (Underage Drinking). When teens think about alcohol they think about having a good time and partying. What they don't consider is the negative affects that alcohol has on their bodies and what it may lead to during the night.

The pressure on teens to do drugs and possibly drink seems like it is higher now more than ever. Teens are faced with a decision on a daily basis to decide whether or not they are going to go to the party where they know that their is alcohol or whether they should ride in a car when they know the person who is driving has been drinking. When teens are faced with a tough decision like this they typically do not know what to do or how to handle the dilemma that they are being presented. The number one killer in teens is accidents in relation to drunk driving (Quick Stats Underage Drinking). their are numerous depressing stories in the news that you here of teens dying in relation to drunk driving. This is mainly because teens feel like they are invincible or have the "it won't happen to me" feeling. with all the information we have today, you would think that teens would be able to make a samrter decision against drinking or at least driving while drunk. but one reason we might want to consider is parent's and their leniency on their teens and their rules. Most parents will provide very strict rules for their children and if broken they will suffer the consequences, but there is always the exception. Some parents today feel like that if they allow their kids to drink in the "controlled" environment of their home, then that would be better than having their kids drinkng out somewhere else and possibly getting into trouble or an accident. this is what introduces them to the world of drinking and if they get into drinking at home then they are probably more likely to drink somewhere else. This is because they will think "if i am safe at home, then I can drink somewhere else without a problem.
 * The pressure on teens.**

Parents often fight with each other and their kids over drinking. One parent often says that they don't care only because they do not want fight with their spouse. this causes the child to feel like they are stuck in the middle and do not know which way to lean. they may feel like drinking is okay but there parents disagree over what to do so they do not get punished or repremanded for drinking. This causes the teen to be stressed out over his parents fighting. When the fighting ceases there is usually a middle point reached between the parents and the teen but there is always the exception. When parents get divorced it causes a massive amount of stress on the teen which may lead to drinking or even binge drinking. binge drinking is the consumption of dangerously large quantities of alcoholic beverages in one session (Binge Drinking).

=Effects of alcohol on the body.=

(Effects of alcohol on the body)
 * ~ Arthritis || Increases risk of gouty arthritis ||
 * ~ Cancer || Increases the risk of cancer in the liver, pancreas, rectum, breast, mouth, pharynx, larynx and esophagus ||
 * ~ Fetal Alcohol Syndrome || Causes physical and behavioral abnormalities in the fetus ||
 * ~ Heart Disease || Raises blood pressure, blood lipids and the risk of stroke and heart disease in heavy drinkers. Heart disease is generally lower in light to moderate drinkers. ||
 * ~ Hyperglycermia || Raises blood glucose ||
 * ~ Hypoglycemia || Lowers blood glucose, especially for people with diabetes ||
 * ~ Kidney Disease || Enlarges the kidneys, alters hormone functions, and increases the risk of kidney failure ||
 * ~ Liver Disease || Causes fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis ||
 * ~ Malnutrition || Increases the risk of protein-energy malnutrition,; low intakes of protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, thiamine, vitamin B6 and riboflavin, and impaired absorption of calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D and zinc. ||
 * ~ Nervous Disorders || Causes neuropathy and dementia; impairs balance and memory ||
 * ~ Obesity || Increases energy intake, but not a primary cause of obesity ||
 * ~ Psychological disturbances || Causes depression, anxiety and insomnia ||

Also, When a person drinks alcohol, the alcohol is absorbed by the stomach, enters the bloodstream, and goes to all the tissues.[|The effects of alcohol] are dependent on a variety of factors, including a person's size, weight, age, and sex, as well as the amount of food and alcohol consumed. The disinhibiting effect of alcohol is one of the main reasons it is used in so many social situations. Other effects of moderate alcohol intake include dizziness and talkativeness; the immediate effects of a larger amount of alcohol include slurred speech, disturbed sleep, nausea, and vomiting. Alcohol, even at low doses, significantly impairs the judgment and coordination required to drive a car safely. Low to moderate doses of alcohol can also increase the incidence of a variety of aggressive acts, including domestic violence and child abuse. Hangovers are another possible effect after large amounts of alcohol are consumed; a hangover consists of headache, nausea, thirst, dizziness, and fatigue. (Russo)

In conclusion, Alcohol presents many dangers, especially to teens. When they drink, they drink erratically causing terrible decisions on their parts and getting into a lot of trouble. teens do not have the ability, especially when drinking to decide between right and wrong because the frontal lobe of their brain is not fully developed. this is why teens should not be drinking. they need time to develop and will choose bad to do bad decisions that will end up costing them later in life.
 * Conclusion**



Works Cited "Alcohol and Public Health - Underage Drinking." //Centers for Disease Control and Prevention//. 2007. Web. 4 Feb. 2010. . Nakaya, Andrea C. "Alcoholism Is a Disease." //Opposing Viewpoints Research Center//. Gale Cenage Learning, 2007. Web. 1 Feb. 2010. Nakaya, Andrea C. "Drinking Impairs Youth Development." //Opposing Viewpoints Research Center//. Gale Cengae Learning, 2008. Web. 1 Feb. 2010. // National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence - NCADD - fights the stigma and the disease of alcoholism and other drug addictions //. Web. 4 Feb. 2010. . Rosenbaum, Marsha. "Parents Should Be Allowed to Regulate Childrens Use of Alcohol." //Opposing Viewpoints Research Center//. Gale Cenage Learning, 2008. Web. 29 Jan. 2010. "Underage Drinking Research Initiative." Web. 4 Mar. 2010. "Underage Drinking." //Welcome to SADD//. Web. 2 Feb. 2010. .