Introduction to Teenage Intoxication

Lets define binge drinking as whole... Binge drinking is drinking alcohol with the intention of becoming intoxicated. even though adults are doing this, teenagers of our generation do not need to follow in their footsteps. In other words, should we allow teenagers to keep doing so, or make a stand against this.

Teenagers are abusing alcohol to the point where they just can't handle it anymore.The amount of alcohol they are consuming, is getting to the point where they either throw up or they just can't remember anything. The definition of binge drinking is drinking alcohol with the intention of becoming intoxicated/drunk. Even though adults are doing this, teenagers to not need to follow in their foots steps. In other words, should we allow teenagers to keep doing so, or make a stand against, "binge drinking".

Throughout this blog, it will describe many things to do with binge drinking. The main points that will be discussed will be the effects of binge drinking on a teenager, why teenagers are drinking, drink driving and many other controversial questions that arise from binge drinking.

While drinking for any age group is harmful, it is particularly dangerous for teenagers. This is because it has been found that alcohol can permanently affect a teen’s developing brain. The immature organs of the teens get affected by alcohol and thus even a minimum consumption of alcohol is like a poison for them. It damages their organs and in the long turn resulting in an early death. More information on the way binge drinking can affect you organs. can be found by clicking this link.


Let’s define how alcohol can affect the developing organs of a teen’s body. Irregular heartbeats, liver damage, shallow breathing, and even choking are some of the common side-effects of alcohol drinking in teens. This is because alcohol directly affects the nervous system of the body.

Binge Drinking Commercial

I recently found this video on youtube.com "Original Link" and just found it distrubing...

Teenagers should just stop drinking to the point where this act occurs. And people involved in this video should not have acted the way that they did...

Why Are Teens Drinking?!

WHY ARE TEENAGERS DRINKING?


For the obvious reason its to be cool or to show your superiority to your peers... but is this reason worth your life? Or danger and risk to others? The reasons for drinking differ to that of adults but amongst teenagers, drinking is all the same. Teenagers are more likely to start experimenting with drinking if they have a parent or adult around them who drinks also, or if their friends around them are also peer pressuring them to consume this product. Drinking and drugs are basically the same, addictive and both influence and change the way you think and feel. Sensations occur at low blood levels this is why adults and teenagers continue to consume alcohol on a daily basis.

Alcohol is classified as a central nervous system depressant. So if you're feeling at a negative state, the intake of alcohol reduces some of this stress or feeling and helps you, "chill out". There are way more reasons to why teenagers are binge drinking but the issues i have pointed out are the main influential ones.


 Hester. R. (n.d.). Why do teenagers drink alcohol? Retrieved May 10, 2010. From http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/article/teen-alcoholism.

Effects Of Teenage Binge Drinking

I can't stop commenting on the effects of teenage binge drinking! I know throughout my blog i have given links and written comments about the effects that binge drinking has on an adolescent/ teenager but i would just like to discuss, how bad this act has on a person at such a young age.

First off binge drinking is basically equals to that of smoking everyday for your whole life or getting your head beaten into a wall everyday. The after effects are so dramatic I'm surprised its not classified as a drug. An A class drug to be exact. We all know that a drug is classified as a substance that influences the way you think, behave or act... I'm pretty sure alcohol does this to you? Teenagers who indulge themselves in alcohol are putting themselves at risk of losing their memory due to the fact that alcohol damages their brain. According to psychologists a recent discovery was found that everyday memory loss was due to occur amongst university students who have regular drinking sessions. 

The image above is clearly a picture of the brain. The cerebellum located at the bottom right hand corner is the part of the brain is the area which is responsible for the movement and actions of a person . This is the most frequently damaged part of the brain in association with a large consumption of alcohol.

Alcohol affects the brain more than any other part in the body. From consuming too much alcohol your body retaliates to this and the following effects apply to you. These affects are as follows, difficulty walking, blurred vision, slurred speech, slowed reaction times and impaired memory. These are just some of the effects of only a few drinks by a teenager. But in the long run this may result in brain deficits and therefore in the long run a shorter life span. 

Not only can alcohol affect the way you act. It can also effect the people around you. If a teen were to continuously binge drink over their whole teenage years image what would happen around them?... it can cause they teenager to have social/ family issues such as, financial loss or drama between families E.g: fights.

This image above is a liver that constantly been attacked by excessive amounts of alcohol. This is how bad drinking can have on a vital organ in your body. I know the picture might be a bit graphic, but I need to point the affect that alcohol can have on you. Do you want your liver to suffer like this one has already?...

To sum up the effects of alcohol on a teenager is that 1) it can affect your brain. The way you think the way you behave etc... 2) It affects your body. Alcohol can damage every organ in your body. It is absorbed directly into your blood stream and can increase the risk of life threatening such as cancer. 3) It affects your self control. Alcohol depresses your central nervous system and impairs your judgment. This is related to risky decisions and behavior such as driving intoxicated or unprotected sex. and lastly... ALCOHOL CAN KILL YOU. Drinking large amounts of alcohol at one time can cause alcohol poisoning, which can lead to a coma or if worse comes to worse, death.

Buddy, T. (2007). Binge drinking affects brain. Retrieved May 10, 2010, from http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/binge/a/aa000818a.htm

NIAAA ( National Institute on Alcohol, Abuse and Alcoholism). (2004). Alcohol alert. Retrieved May 10, 2010, from http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa63/aa63.htm

Binge Drink Driving

On TV and all over the media there are ads and billboards that show that drinking driving is not acceptable and is a crime. Teenagers are amongst the hundreds that ignore these signs of advice, and hop into their cars under the influence of this oh so harmful  drug. Binge drinking is bad let alone drinking driving. Binge drinking or should i say teenage drinking is one of the main causes of deaths on New Zealand roads.

BELOW ARE SOME DRINK DRIVING STATISTICS:

• Alcohol is the cause of 60% of all teen deaths in car accidents.
• 31% of teenage drivers who are involved in fatal car wrecks had a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher.
• Teenage boys who have a blood alcohol concentration of .05 are18 times more likely to suffer a single vehicle crash than a non drinking teenage boy.
• Teenage girls who have a blood alcohol concentration of .05 are 54 times more likely to be involved in a vehicle crash.
• Nationally in the United States, over 12% of all fatal crashes were alcohol related and 40% of those involved teenage drivers who were drinking.
• Teenagers are less likely to drive drunk than adults.
• Adolescents are more likely to drive drunk than teenagers.
• Eight teens die daily in alcohol related vehicle crashes.
• Each day 1,400 injuries and 15 deaths occur to teenage drivers, 40 percent are alcohol related.
• Almost 1,500 teens age 15-20 die in car crashes annually in the United States.
• The excuse given by teens who were caught drinking and driving include: Prom, graduation, spring break and breaking up with their boy or girl friends.
• Six of ten high school juniors and seniors admit to riding with an alcohol impaired teenage driver.
• The number of teenagers who drink in cars is about 40%. Of that number, 40% of those were teenage drivers who were drinking.
• Alcohol is the cause of 60% of all teen deaths involving car accidents

Here "Click for Link" is some advice given about drink driving and ways it can be prevented. It also gives statistics and describes the ways of accessing alcohol in your body.

This image on the right is the aftermath of a dramatic drinking driving accident. Horrific or is this acceptable by you? should we allow this to happen? what if its to late?







Car Accident Advice (n.d). The top killer of youth is drunk driving. Where's the outrage?. Retrieved May 10, 2010, From http://www.car-accident-advice.com/statistics-of-teen-drunk-driving.html.

Should the legal drinking age be raised?

There are many questions asked when related to alcohol and the people involved. Yet it be questions like who should be allowed to buy alcohol?, what does alcohol do to that of an adolescent?.. but in society today many questions are mainly related to those of age limits or the responsibility of those who consume this product.

I was skimming the Internet and found this article on the New Zealand Herald website.
Click Here To Read Article

this article found discusses the controversial question Should the legal drinking age be raised?

Conclusion To Teenage Intoxication

From all the points made/ discussed and articles and information that has been brought to your attention through this blog... I have to keep saying this... BINGE DRINKING amongst teenagers is wrong and not accepted. Teenage binge drinking can have many life changing and negative consequences... so if you want to have healthy life by the time you start a family, or just want to be healthy in your future years... Act now! Don't let this be you!!!

References

ALAC. (2008). Drinking and driving. Retrieved May 2, 2010, from http://www.alac.org.nz/DrinkingAndDriving.aspx

Family Guide. (2007). Who's using alcohol. Retrieved April 29, 2010, from http://family.samhsa.gov/talk/alcohol.aspx

Hester, R, K. (n.d). Why do teenagers drink alcohol? Retrieved April 29, 2010, from http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/article/teen-alcoholism

Iannelli, V. (2004). Teen drinking. Retrieved April 29, 2010, from http://pediatrics.about.com/od/teendrugabuse/a/04_teen_alcohol_2.htm

Lucy, B. (2010). How does binge drinking affect your organs. Retrieved June 10, 2010, from

http://www.mademan.com/mm/how-does-binge-drinking-affect-your-organs.html

Maklin, B. (2009).  Australian and New Zealand police launch operation against binge drinking. Retrieved April 29, 2010, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/6787645/Australian-and-New-Zealand-police-launch-operation-against-binge-drinking.html

New Zealand Herald. (2008). Should the legal drinking age be raised? Retrieved May 1, 2010, from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10500143

Tiffen, R &Tapaleao, V. (2010). Schoolboy dies after party drinks. Retrieved May 10, 2010, from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10643942