Alcohol: Highly Affecting Young People Today

Class, alcohol is seriously affecting many young people today. Did you know that it is the most abused substance by people your age? (Patrick and Schulenberg 2011). Seven out of ten high-schoolers have had at least a drink of alcohol, which means there is good chance you could come into contact with alcohol before you graduate (Wang et al. 2015, 2). In addition, alcoholism ranks third on the list of preventable diseases. You need to know the reasons why you should stay away from it because it can and will harm you if you allow it into your body. Do not be fooled — alcohol is just like marijuana, cocaine, or any other mind-altering drug. It suppresses the areas of the brain that make us aware of uneasiness or any bad feelings. What makes it addictive is that it gives a false relief of the pain from negative things in life, whether those are actually present or not. In fact, alcohol is placed in the same family of drugs as …show more content…
People will try to tell you that drinking makes you more mature or more “cool.” Pressure such as this is why choosing your friends wisely is so important, because they influence you whether you realize it or not. You have all heard it said that you become just like your friends, and it is so true. A recent study found that those with friends who drank were much more likely to start drinking as well. The same study also found that the most popular students were those who drank the most (Wang et al. 2015, 12). Most people do not enjoy the taste of any alcoholic beverage, but because of pressure from their friends, they continue to drink (Fort 1973, 24). It is very important that you choose your friends wisely so that you can stay out of tempting situations as much as possible. I recommend that you practice with a friend what your responses would be so that you can be better prepared if any of you were ever pressured to