Hello again! I’ll be continuing my substances series here by talking about the effects of alcohol on teens. Here’s the TED Ed video I watched to get a quick intro into the topic:

Now, the CDC says that underage drinking is a serious health problem in the US – where overdrinking is responsible for 3,500+ deaths in people under 21 per year. In 2013, there were about 119,000 visits to the emergency room made by people ages 12 – 21 for conditions linked to alcohol consumption. In the US, Alcohol is the most commonly used substance in minors.

Historically, underage males are more likely to drink alcohol, but females are more liking to binge drink. But diving more deeply into that topic – what is a standard drink? And what are the real effects of alcohol on the body? The CDC says that one drink contains 0.6 ounces/14.0 grams/1.2 tablespoons of pure alcohol. Usually, that amounts to 12 oz of beer (with a 5% alcohol content), 5 oz of wine (with a 12% alcohol content), and 1.5 oz of gin, rum, vodka, and whiskey (40% alcohol content). But it’s not just that simple – excessive drinking is individual and defined by physical characteristics. For women excessive drinking is defined as, 4 or more drinks in one sitting, and for men, 5 or more drinks. Similarly, heavy drinking is defined as the consumption of 8 or more drinks for women in one week, and 15 or more drinks for men per week. This means that, concerningly, the standard for alcohol consumption is not universal and is directly tied to factors such as body weight, age, and gender. A formula developed by Erik Widmark, known as the Widmark formula, can calculate BAC (or Blood Alcohol Concentration) as follows:

BAC = [Alcohol consumed in grams / (Body weight in grams x R)] X 100, where R = gender (0.55 for females and 0.68 for males). 0.08% is the legal BAC limit in the United States.

On days when an adult decides to consume alcohol, drinking in moderation means having 2 drinks or less in a day for men, and 1 drink for women. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans notes that people who should not drink alcohol under any circumstances for health reasons include people under 21, pregnant women, people taking prescription of OTC medications that might interact with ethanol (the active ingredient in alcohol), and people experiencing specific medical conditions where alcohol may be directly harmful. Pregnant women drinking alcohol is especially notable because it may cause a miscarriage, stillbirth, or FASDs.

But what are the reasons behind prohibition of alcohol consumption in teens? Well, MedicineNet says that alcohol can actually influence the size of teenagers’ brains. We know that human brains don’t stop growing until age 25, so if a teenager decides to drink while their brain remains undeveloped, it can lead to a brain of reduced size. In addition, unlike adults, when teens start drinking they tend to also experiment with other substances, sometimes even mixing substances together. Intoxication is also linked to suicide attempts, in a study where 8th grade girls who admitted to drinking alcohol were 3 times more likely to attempting suicide than girls who did not. In addition, BAC tests are generally more likely to come back positive in people who have committed suicide (found during the autopsy). Lastly, teenagers who are intoxicated are also much more likely to engage in sexual activity with strangers and be the victim or perpetrator of rape.

Signs of alcohol usage in teens includes glazed/bloodshot eyes, a change in personality (passive-aggressive/aggressive when usually not), slurred speech, poor coordination/unsteadiness, flushed skin, memory loss, and in severe cases, comas. So why is this important? It’s important because of the increased amount of damage alcohol can do to a developing body and brain. Drinking in moderation for adults has a much smaller impact on overall wellbeing than in adolescents – in fact, red wine has even been suggested to help prevent coronary artery disease, a condition linked to heart attacks. But in children, it’s known to be damaging to mental health and sometimes fatal (as shown by the suicide attempt statistic). So here comes the big question: why do minors feel the need to drink?

There are many reasons, so I’ll cover the most common here.

1. Teens see people they love drinking – when they see their parents or friends drink, it makes it much more likely that they will too because they think it’s a normal part of life
2. Trends – 45% of teens agree that popular music makes it seem like using substances is normal at a young age
3. Escape – teenage years are tough, and many teenagers suffer from depression. Alcohol and other substances are seen as a way to escape, so teens can manage their academic, social, or emotional stress.
4. Boredom – a lot of teens aren’t comfortable doing nothing/being alone and see alcohol consumption as something to do
5. Rebellion – some teens may use alcohol as a way to prove to themselves that they are independent from their parents/guardians
6. Insecurity – sometimes teenagers will use alcohol as a way to feel more confident with other teens (especially if they feel socially insecure)
7. Misinformation – many teens drink simply because they aren’t educated on the medical reasons not to. They might drink for any of the reasons above, but if they were better educated on the consequences they might give the topic more thought.

Those are some reasons – but how can people help? The HHS suggests the first method of alcohol prevention is education. Not enough teens are receiving a good education on the consequences of substance use, so creating a program to educate teens or getting involved in one may be a good first step. Support groups are also a good outlet, so that teens can talk about their experience and understand the root of why they turned to alcohol in the first place. Usually, teens start drinking to avoid facing a larger problem instead of drinking for the sake of drinking. Support groups may provide a safe space for teens to explore that reason.

Once again, I am not a doctor and do not claim to be giving medical advice. I’m only educating myself about these topics and choosing to share what I learn. Thanks for reading!