Alcohol Among Adolescents

It might be surprising to many, but the concern about the use of alcohol among adolescents has been on the rise over the past few decades. Bearing this in mind it is important to understand what exactly alcohol is and what it is classified under. Consequently, it has been classified as a depressant, which is something that impedes the nervous system within the body. Thus, to a considerable extent the most commonly abused form of depressant is no other than alcohol. Henceforth, although during the past few years there has been a decrease in the amount of alcohol being used there has been a lot of accidents that could have been prevented. It is very important to understand what are the signs and symptoms and whom may be more at risk of partaking …show more content…
According to (2014), emphasizes that there are several correlations that comes along with drinking alcohol, which to some extent may include the following: suicide, sexual activity, poor school performance and even some health problems. Hence, current research on adolescents and the use of alcohol continues to concentrate on what are the typical clues to look for on an individual who may suffer from alcoholism. Carrying further, it is important to note that some of the physical and emotional effects may include the following: weakens brain activity, motor coordination, retention of memory, the amount of time it takes for the body to react. There are other effects as well, such as self-control which can be seen in different outcomes such as becoming an alcoholic, misconduct behavior, harmful to others and to oneself. It is important to note that alcoholism till this day is the number one cause of car accidents. Also, the amount of time that one is an alcoholic has not been determined. However, all these problems can be delayed if the age of first experience of alcohol is past of legal …show more content…
Adolescent alcohol use can also lead to sexual risk-taking, putting teens at high risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (book). Long-term use of alcohol can result in problems such as poor self image, affecting mood and judgement. This prolonged use can also lead to conditions such as depression and antisocial behavior. However, the opposite is possible and an individual who may be struggling with depression or has very few friends may choose to consume alcohol for those reasons. Alcoholism in the youth can also be influenced by genetics. If a parent is an alcoholic, an adolescent may be more susceptible to developing a drinking habit. Both genes and environmental factors work together and may determine drinking habits for the present and