Alcohol+and+Adolescence

Alcohol is an addictive drug that consumed in large quantities can cause serious risk to your physical and mental well being. It is a depressant, which means it makes your central nervous system function slower. Some messages that are sent to your brain are blocked by alcohol, and this effects your hearing, perception, emotion, vision and movement. Alcohol is consumed in the form of beer, wine, vodka, whiskey, gin, and various other alcoholic beverages. Most teens drink to look cool and fit in, reduce stress, relax or simply out of curiosity. Alcohol is a drug that affects your health and can kill you, some say it is even worse than marijuana because marijuana isn’t addictive and the health risks aren’t nearly as bad as alcohol’s. Mainly, Alcohol should be consumed, if ever at all, with great caution and in moderate portions.
 * Alcohol**

Alcohol is a depressant gets absorbed by your bloodstream when you drink it. Once in your blood, it will affect your brain and spinal cord. Your brain and spinal cord control your whole body, and that means you won’t have complete control. Alcohol makes your brain slow down, and even block your brains communication with the rest of the body. In moderate portions it is safe, but too much can lead to intoxication, which leads to the symptoms just described. It will make you slur your speech and stagger when you walk. You might not remember things and you judgment will be pretty bad. Alcohol, if taken in large portions, can result in Alcohol Poisoning, which means that your body is being, well, poisoned by alcohol, and that can later lead to death. Other symptoms that Alcohol poisoning has occurred are vomiting, seizures, sleepiness and difficulty to breathe. media type="youtube" key="jH6rdUp4zuc&hl=en" height="355" width="425"media type="youtube" key="Wlf6fJIIFRw&hl=en" height="355" width="425" go to jail or a juvenile hall. a certain amount of alcohol each, which means becoming an alcoholic. Influential Factors**
 * Why is it bad?**
 * Reasons Not to Drink Underage**
 * Well for one, drinking under the age of the specified age is illegal, that means you can get arrested, and you
 * It can cause severe health problems including damage to liver, and your body may come to needing
 * It can cause dysfunctions in your brain. See **Figure 1**.
 * You may be more likely to have unprotected sex, and do things you would regret in general.
 * It can make you look like a compete idiot
 * The Media.** The media portrays alcohol use in an alluring light. Sports heroes, models, and pop culture icons reinforce the idea that drinking is widely accepted by society, and while it may be, drinking during the teen years is not. (3)
 * Easy Access.** The legal age in the United States for buying and consuming alcohol is 21. Still, teens report having easy access to alcohol. Teens get alcohol from a number of sources, most notably from their parents' own alcohol cabinets and refrigerators. Older friends or siblings may also buy alcoholic substances for underaged youth.(3)
 * Peers.** Drinking alcohol is a social behavior that is engaged in with others. Because teens tend to gravitate toward friends, teens with friends that drink or abuse other illegal substances are more likely to drink alcohol. (3)
 * Boredom.** When there is a lack of appropriate activities (e.g., after school clubs, sports programs) teens are more prone to consume alcohol because they lack a positive outlet for experimentation. (3)
 * Stress.** Stress is a normal part of growing up. Teens who do not have effective strategies for dealing with stress and change may see drinking as an appropriate way to cope, especially when this behavior is reinforced by parents and others who use alcohol as a way to "kick back and relax." (3)


 * Consequences**
 * If you drive while drunk you can get a conviction or get into a car accident
 * If you drink while under the specified age of the country your in, you will be convicted and sent to either Jail or Juvenile Hall.
 * You can intoxicate yourself, which is caused by alcohol poisoning, then you may pass out, the vomit, choke on your vomit, and die.
 * You could also die from a coma or just stay in a coma for a while.


 * References**
 * 1) Dowshen, S., MD., & Shatz, E., MD. (n.d.). Alcohol. In //Teen Health//. Retrieved April 25, 2008, from Nemours Foundation Web site: http://www.kidshealth.org/‌teen/‌drug_alcohol/‌alcohol/‌alcohol.html
 * 2) //Greatest Anti-Alcohol Advertisement// [Motion picture]. (2006). Korea: gqmaster. Retrieved May 5, 2008, from http://youtube.com/‌watch?v=jH6rdUp4zuc
 * 3) McDowell, U., & Futris, T. G. (2002). Adolescents at Risk: Alcohol Use. In //Family Tapestries: Strengthening Family Bonds//. Retrieved April 23, 2008, from Department of Human Development and Family Science, The Ohio State University Web site: http://ohioline.osu.edu/‌flm02/‌FS14.html
 * 4) //TEEN TRUTH: DRUGS Trailer// [Motion picture]. (2007). United States: coachpohl. Retrieved May 5, 2008, from http://www.youtube.com/‌watch?v=Wlf6fJIIFRw&feature3=related