Alcohol Risks
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10

Is there anything people can do to avoid developing problems with alcohol?

The human brain is STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION. It isn’t fully developed till about age 25!

For starters, people should know (and then stay away from) anything that constitutes RISKY (read “potentially hazardous”) DRINKING.

People for whom drinking is risky include all people under 21 because:

It’s illegal! For a good reason. Keep reading. Kids’ brains respond differently to alcohol. A young person’s brain is still developing, so using a drug like alcohol that affects the brain is not a good idea. In fact, kids and teens who drink a lot can cause life-long damage to their thinking abilities. In 10 to 12 year olds, alcohol can interfere with a chemical that helps with brain mapping showing nerve pathways which way to go. Also, recent studies show that brain damage from binge drinking can occur in less than a year.

Their body size is smaller causing the alcohol to have a greater impact.

Their livers are less able to handle (that means break down) alcohol.

Kids who start drinking on their own, on or before age 13, have nearly a 50% chance of developing life-long problems with alcohol.

By comparison, people who start when they are 21 or older have only a 10% chance of becoming an alcoholic.

They are more likely to be pressured by peers to drink.

They may be more likely to give in to the pressure because they don’t want to be seen as different from others.

They are more likely to THINK they need alcohol to relax in social situations or to look more mature and independent when out with friends.

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