Alcohol Essay

Even though people think that it doesn’t affect the brain when they drink it really does. Drinking by those below the age of 21 is strongly linked with school performance problems such as higher absenteeism and poor or failing grades. Alcohol has many effects on the brain such as impaired memory, slurred speech, blurred vision, and difficulty walking. When teens drink these effects can be more harmful to their not fully developed brain. Alcohol furthermore diminishes the size of the brain and affects the reaction time of the person drinking. Drinking can cause blackouts or memory loss, which can be harmful to teens and may cause them to do something they regret. Drinking does affect the brain and the effects can have a long-term effect on teenagers.

Alcohol consumption was initiated on reservations when traders in the nineteenth century started to offer it to oppressed and depressed Native Americans. Natives represent, in fact, the ethnic group with the highest degree of alcohol consumption in the United States. Confinement on reservations after displacement brought for Native Americans identity conflicts and assimilation problems. This situation promoted the abuse of liquor to mitigate the psychological pain inflicted by the dispossession of the land and enclosure in a limited and controlled space. Both the stereotype of the “Noble Savage” and the “drunken Indian” are recurrent figures in mainstream literature of the US.

Childhood and teenage years are major times for brain growth and can be negatively affected by the use of alcohol. In the report “The Surgeon General’s Call to Action To Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking” by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, it states, “Creates secondhand effects that can put others at risk. Loud and unruly behavior, property destruction, unintentional injuries, violence, and even death because of underage alcohol use afflict innocent parties.” (2007) In brief, alcohol can be related to the extremely violent behavior of some teens. In fact, 45% of those who die in drunk driving incidents are not the driver themselves but those around them. (The Surgeon General’s Call to Action To Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking, 2007) For this reason, opponents argue that minors have no right to drink alcoholic beverages. Therefore, critics who oppose minors being allowed to drink believe alcohol will lead to very troublesome problems for youth and their

For example, about 45 percent of people who die in crashes involving a drinking driver under the age of 21 are people other than the driver. Such secondhand effects often strike at random, making underage alcohol use truly everybody's problem (Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking, P.2)”. Underage drinkers have no sense of right and wrong when under the influence causing them to do things that tend to get them in a dilemma. They operate abnormally and not in a restrained manner. Figure 2: Underage Drinking and Driving Accident (Robert Falcione)

College students continue to encounter a variety of different issues during their college experience. An issue can be something simple such as lack of adequate parking or more complex such as alcohol abuse or binge drinking. A recent report from Student Monitor, revealed that students have identified the three biggest problems on campus which were cost of education, stress, and alcohol abuse (Jacobs, 2014). Today alcohol abuse among American college students continues to be a major concern. Not only is it major concern it also continues to be a challenging dilemma for college administrators and health professionals (Scott, 2012). There are many steps that can be done by professionals to help students who are experiencing alcohol abuse. Taking

Why do teenagers choose to drink? This question is ever-present in the minds of parents and caregivers. Teenagers who drink do not comprehend the widespread and longterm effects of their actions. Consuming alcohol is very harmful to the teenager, friends, family, and even strangers. Nearly ten million young people ages twelve to twenty reported consuming alcohol in the past thirty days, with “consumed” being defined as more than a couple sips (“11 Fact About Teens And Alcohol”). These are not good numbers for underaged individuals. Teen drinking is an important factor which can lead to serious injury or death. Teen drinking is a serious issue with life-altering consequences and cannot be ignored.

I would agree with the research. Before coming to college I never drank. I had friends who drank alcohol and have been around it a lot. I always said I don't think I would ever drink alcohol. I didn't have anything against it, I just felt as though it wasn't for me.

Teenage drinking increases the risk of fatalities from motor vehicle crashes, impairs decision-making and memory, expands the chance of alcohol dependence in adulthood, and can result in significant health possibility to the still-developing adolescent brain (underage drinking viewpoints

Alcoholism is perhaps the most common form of drug abuse in North America today. Scientists report that the reason alcohol is so popular to people is because it is pleasant, relaxing, and is considered a "social beverage." But what individuals often do not take in to consideration is the fact that alcohol dulls the brain and confuses physical reactions. This can lead to numerous injuries, accidents, and death. Alcohol affects every part of an alcoholic's life: their body, their mind and their family life. The body has a natural chemical that gives a feeling of a "natural high". It happens in the presence of a life-endangering situation. This chemical is adrenaline, which is meant to prepare the body for defense in

Alcoholism is a prominent substance abuse issue in Western society. The treatment method of controlled drinking as opposed to abstinence is a continuing cause of controversy in alcohol research to this day. The US is different from Europe in its acceptance of controlled drinking as a goal of treatment: “in the US alcohol dependence is typically depicted as a ‘recurring disease’ and the ‘successful abstainer’ as a ‘recovering’ though never ‘recovered’ alcoholic” (Coldwell, 2005). Depending on the alcohol abuse patient’s individual characteristics, either controlled drinking or abstinence is chosen as a treatment.

Alcohol is a drug that is classified as a central nervous system depressant. There are three forms of alcohol, beer, wine and distilled spirits. Alcohol is one of the most commonly used drugs in the United States and has more adverse effects that most other drugs combined. There are many aspects to consider when thinking about alcohol as a drug. There are many myths surrounding alcohol, including who uses it, what its effects are on users, social and sexual situations and the amounts people drink. The vast majority of the American population uses alcohol and in many various ways and this also causes different effects. Alcohol is also has a great causation in crimes committed by users, social, medical, and educational problems as a

There are several different ways to describe substance abuse. So many people think that substance abuse only pertains to alcoholism. There is several other substances that may cause someone to be diagnosed with substance abuse disorder. Some of those things include: marijuana, alcohol, stimulants(cocaine and amphetamines), Hallucinogens, Inhalants, sedatives, and even nicotine. Even though some people may not see some of these things as things that may become addicting they are. More and more people are becoming addicted to the smallest things such as alcohol. For hundreds and thousands of American citizens alcoholism is become far too common. Alcoholism is a disease that affects many people in the United States today. It not

In today's modern society alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse has become one of the most complex, life-threatening issues. Most depressed individuals usually indulge themselves in bars or pubs with their alcohols to escape from their stressful life. It has become increasingly alarming how alcohol does not only attract the adults, but also teenagers these days. "Research has shown that approximately 14 million Americans (7.4%) of the population meet the diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse or alcoholism" ("Facts about Alcohol"). Alcohol addicts may encounter social impact such as loss of respect from others who may see the problem as self- inflictive and easily avoided. Repeated use of alcohol over a period of time can result in

Alcohol is the number one drug problem among America’s youth. More senior high school students use alcohol than any other psychoactive drug. Family doctors, pediatricians, schoolteachers, and parents know that alcohol is overwhelmingly the drug of choice among today’s youth, although trendier substances such as cocaine are often given more attention in the headlines (Carla Felsted, p. vii). Furthermore, it is widely acknowledged that drinking alcohol is a part of the youth culture in America; it may also be understood as a culturally conditioned and socially controlled behavior.

Under age drinking is not just an issue that the United States experiences, but all over the world. What most teens do not realize is that under age drinking is a major concern to people, it can be quite dangerous to themselves and to others as well. Underage drinking is when a minor under the legal age of twenty one decides to consume alcohol. In the article, The Problem Of Underage Drinking And What Parents Can do by Heidi Steven, it is said by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse that “the percentage of teenagers who drink is slowly declining” (Stevens 1). Although the percentage is declining for underage drinking, the numbers are still roughly high. Alcohol is one of the most widely used substance among teens in America, even compared to the statistics of marijuana and cigarettes combined. With these odds, the number of incidents that are reported every year, are just likely to happen if underage drinking isn’t put into control. Another study that was reported by the Centers for Disease Control mentions that “excessive drinking is responsible for more than 4,300 deaths each year...[and] 189,000 emergency rooms visits” (Stevens 1). The consequences of underage drinking not only affects the drinkers health but, others who are around or who are perhaps even involved in the act are at risk. The statistics of deaths and injuries that are linked to alcohol show the true dangers that underage drinking is associated with, which is why underage drinking should be taken into account. n addition to controlling underage drinking, it is the parents job to help maintain their drinking.parents should have a talk from now and then, starting at a young age. Another factor that underage drinking has a negative effect against your health, is that it affects to major areas of the brain. The two areas are the hippocampus and the prefrontal lobe, their roles are responsible for memory, learning, concentration and emotion. Most young people's brains are still considered to be developing by the time they hit their 20s. Studies of adolescents have shown “that heavy and extended alcohol use is associated with a 10% reduction in the size of of the hippocampus” (Steven 1), and that “these young people