Hollowell 1 Underage drinking is becoming an epidemic.

Alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug among youth in the United States, more than tobacco and illicit drugs (cdc.go !. "he ma#ority o$ students in high school ha e e%perimented with alcohol. "he brain is not $ully de eloped until the mid &'(s, any drinking be$ore then can hinder the brain(s growth. )amage to the brain caused by alcohol can be irre ersible. "his is why underage drinking causes negati e mental and physical e$$ects $or young people and the people around them. &'1', there were appro%imately 1*+,''' emergency room isits by persons under age &1 $or in#uries and other conditions linked to alcohol. Also in the ,outh -isk .eha ior Sur ey in &'11, /+0 o$ high school students in the past /' days prior to the sur ey had drank some amount o$ alcohol. &&0 o$ those students admitted to binge drinking, *0 said they dro e a$ter drinking alcohol, and &10 had ridden with a dri er who had been drinking alcohol. "he 2onitoring the 3uture sur ey in &'11 showed that //0 o$ eighth graders and 4'0 o$ twel$th graders had tried alcohol. 5ut o$ those students, 1/0 o$ the eighth graders and 1'0 o$ the twel$th graders had drank in the past month. (&! Underage drinking can be used as a gateway drug. 2ore than 64 percent o$ the youth who start drinking be$ore turning 17 will try an illicit drug. ,oung people who drink are 4.7 times more likely to use mari#uana and 7' times more likely to use cocaine than young people who ne er drink (publicsa$ety. irginia.go !. "he e$$ects o$ alcohol carry on throughout the young persons li$e. "he brain and the li er su$$er when young people choose to drink be$ore the brain is $ully de eloped. Alcohol could cause alterations in the $unction and structure in the de eloping brain, which isn(t $ully de eloped until a person(s mid &'(s. )rinking at the legal drinking age o$ &1 could still cause damage $or some people(s brains because they could not be completely de eloped yet (toosmarttostart.samhsa.go !. "he brain goes through dynamic changes during adolescence, and alcohol can seriously damage long8and short8term growth processes (+!. "he brain is made up o$ gray matter and white matter. .ecause alcohol suppresses brain

Hollowell & acti ity, it pre ents the young person(s brain $rom properly de eloping the white matter. "he white matter is the $atty8wa%y coating which insulates the part o$ the neurons that send electrical signals. 9ot ha ing properly de eloped white matter can negati ely a$$ect thinking and memory skills (+!. Alcohol also can damage the brain(s pleasure sensors. "he brain can go $rom liking normal, healthy things and e%periences to not $eeling any en#oyment $rom doing things he or she once lo ed to do. A young person(s brain produces plenti$ul amounts o$ dopamine. )opamine can make the brain go $rom liking, to wanting, to cra ing alcohol, programming it $or alcoholism. :$ the drinking continues, the brain changes and adapts to the presence o$ alcohol, and soon the teenager will need more to create the same amount o$ pleasure that they had be$ore. 5nce becoming addicted, getting the ne%t drink becomes more important than $amily, grades, or e en sports (+!. Along with the risk o$ becoming addicted, all the parts o$ the growing brain are impacted negati ely by alcohol, but the memory $unction is hit especially hard. (madd.org! "he brain(s hippocampus can be 1'0 smaller in underage drinkers (+!. "he hippocampus is where memories are made. :$ alcohol in#ures it, the underage drinker may ha e trouble learning and retaining knowledge (1!. Another part o$ the brain that alcohol can a$$ect is the hypothalamus. :t is the part o$ the brain that keeps the body running smoothly. ;hen you drink alcohol, it causes the blood pressure, hunger, thirst, and the need to use the bathroom to go up while the body(s temperature and heart rate go down which could result in hypothermia or other illnesses (1!. ;hen dealing with the cerebellum, alcohol could cause a person to lose their balance and $all. "he cerebellum controls the thoughts, coordination, and awareness (1!. "he part o$ the brain that controls the body(s automatic actions is the medulla. :t controls the heart beat and keeps the body at it(s correct temperature. )rinking a lot o$ alcohol in cold conditions could cause a drinker(s body temperature to drop down below the normal temperature and e en cause hypothermia (1!. "he cerebral corte% works with in$ormation $rom all the person(s senses. Alcohol hinders the processing o$ that in$ormation (1!.

Hollowell / "he pre$rontal area (responsible $or thinking, planning, good #udgment, decision making and impulse control! undergoes the most change during adolescence. -esearchers $ound that adolescent drinking could cause se ere changes in this area...which plays an important role in $orming adult personality and beha ior. )amage $rom alcohol at this time can be long term and irre ersible (+!. "he parts o$ the brain that plan, $orm ideas, make decisions, and use sel$ control are the $rontal lobes. A person may $ind it hard to control his or her emotions and urges when alcohol e$$ects the $rontal lobes o$ the brain. A person may become iolent or act with out thinking. "he $rontal lobes could be damaged $ore er i$ a person drinks o er a long period o$ time (1!. ;hen a young person damages their brain early on, they will ha e to li e $or the rest o$ their li$e with that damage. "he last area that alcohol a$$ects is the central ner ous system. ;hen a person wants to do something, the brain and spinal cord sends signals to the part o$ the body that controls that part. Alcohol slows down the system, making the drinker think, speak, and mo e slower. Alcohol is a central ner ous system depressant. Alcohol can appear to be a stimulant because, initially, it depresses the part o$ the brain that controls inhibitions (1!. Alcohol doesn(t only a$$ect the brain, it can also seriously a$$ect the li er. "he li er breaks down alcohol, so it can be remo ed $rom the body. )rinking more alcohol than the li er can process can cause diseases such as 3atty <i er )isease, Alcohol Hepatitis, and Alcohol =irrhosis. (li er$oundation.org! All o$ the brain e$$ects and li er e$$ects are especially critical because it is at the beginning o$ their li$espan and their organs are still de eloping. Underage drinking has signi$icant negati e e$$ects on the brain, but it also hinders the students( abilities in school and in their social li es. Adolescent drinkers per$orm worse in school, are more likely to $all behind and ha e an increased risk o$ social problems, depression, suicidal thoughts, and iolence (1!. "hey are also at a higher risk o$ being a crime ictim. (Hanley=enter.org! )amaged ner e tissue on the brain o$ kids who drink ha e been $ound to negati ely a$$ect attention spans in

Hollowell 1 boys. :t a$$ects the girls( ability to interpret and understand isual in$ormation (npr.org!. :n a study published in the #ournal Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, Susan "apert (a neurosurgeon at the Uni ersity o$ =ali$ornia! reported abnormal hippocampus $unction in young people who drink. "he teenage drinkers had abnormal brain scans and did more poorly on erbal material than the other adolescents who did not drink. ;hat is unsure is whether or not this damage is irre ersible (4!. 3or girls who had been engaging in hea y drinking during adolescence, ...they(re per$orming more poorly on tests o$ spatial $unctioning, which links to mathematics, engineering kids o$ $unctions. 3or boys who engage in binge drinking during adolescence, >the researchers? see poor per$ormance on tests o$ attention >which test? being able to $ocus on something that might be somewhat boring, $or a sustained period o$ time, (4!. "he research showed that the di$$erence between those students who drank and those who didn(t drink had a 1' percent di$$erence, which is about the letter grade di$$erence between an A and a . (4!. Higher truancy rates are also associated with greater rates o$ alcohol use (+!. 2ost 6 year olds know that alcohol is only $or adults. .etween ages + and 1/, youth begin to think that alcohol use is okay. (surgeongeneral.go ! ;hen parents teach their kids about the risks about drugs, the kids are 7' percent less likely to use. (naturalhigh.org! )rinking below the legal drinking age can cause widespread hurt $or the drinker and the people around them. "he 2inimum <egal )rinking Age has sa ed more than &7,''' li es in the US (1!. @ en though it keeps some kids $rom drinking, there are still an alarming number o$ kids who still drink and get in#ured or e en die. Alcohol is responsible $or o er 1,4'' deaths o$ underage youth each year (&!. )rinking a substantial amount o$ alcohol at a $ast rate could lead to alcohol poisoning, which can be $atal. Alcohol also increases the risk $or cancer and other deadly diseases (7!. "he likelihood to su$$er blackouts, memory loss, and alcohol poisoning is increased when the person is underage. "eenagers are also at a higher risk o$ damaging their ability to remember things in the near or $ar $uture (1!. 2ost

Hollowell 7 teenagers aren(t aware o$ how deadly getting into%icated can be, getting a hango er is not the worse thing that can happen to them, they could die $rom alcohol poisoning (*!. Alcohol poisoning can be a result o$ binge drinking, which is consuming large amounts o$ alcohol at a $ast rate. 2ore than +'0 o$ all alcohol consumed by young people is in the $orm o$ binge drinking (&!. Aeople $rom age 1& to &' consume 110 o$ the total amount o$ alcohol consumed in the United States (&!. Underage drinkers also consume more drinks per sitting than adult drinkers (&!. @ en i$ a parent thinks that their child does not drink, they aren(t always correct. :n $act, /10 o$ teenagers who said they had been into%icated in the past year had parents who didn(t e en think they drank (+!. 5ne reason teens may choose to drink is the di$$erent social surroundings they are in. "hey $eel like they li e in di$$erent worlds when they are with di$$erent people such as $amily, $riends, school, and community (*!. "hey also may start drinking because they ha e a greater desire to take risks (*!. 2any teenagers decide to make reckless decisions when they are trying to make a name $or themsel es amongst other teenagers, and drinking is #ust another way they think they will look cool. Also, when a teenager is growing up, they are in less contact with their parents and rely on them less $or important decision making (*!. "he teenager has more independence to choose which decision is right $or them. "he time that used to be spent with parents is now spent with $riends or by themsel es. High school also brings greater stress on the teenager, so it may result in drinking, which hinders the teenager(s ability to $ocus on their work and do good in school. Aeer pressure is also a ma#or $actor in why teenagers decide to drink alcohol. "hey pay greater attention when they are growing up to what they see and hear about alcohol (*!. "here isn(t enough in$ormation a ailable to young people about the risks o$ alcohol and how it could negati ely a$$ect them. "he teenagers who are at a higher risk o$ alcohol use are those with beha ior or $amily problems. :$ a person in the child(s $amily has a drinking problem, then it could a$$ect the entire $amily. A $amily member with a drinking problem could also a$$ect a teen(s decisions about drinking (*!.

Hollowell 6 =hildren who begin drinking as a 1/ year old ha e a 170 chance o$ becoming dependent on alcohol (+!. :$ they start drinking be$ore the age o$ 17 years, they are $i e times more likely to become alcohol dependent or abuse alcohol than those who begin drinking at or a$ter age &1 (&!. Adults who claim to ha e started drinking be$ore the age o$ 17, 1'0 o$ them say they ha e the signs o$ being alcohol dependent. "he rate o$ those who didn(t drink until they were age &1 had a 1 times less percentage o$ becoming dependent on alcohol (*!. Starting to drink at the legal age o$ &1 gi es you only a 40 chance o$ becoming addicted (+!. "he brain o$ a teenager is more susceptible to becoming dependent on alcohol because it is still de eloping. "he brain (speci$ically, the regulation o$ the brain through serotonin, which pro ides balance and impulse control! becomes used to the use o$ alcohol, people who begin drinking in their teens are not only at a greater risk o$ de eloping alcoholism sometime in their li es, they are also at a greater risk $or de eloping alcoholism more Buickly at younger ages, especially chronic, relapsing alcoholism. ;hen a young person drinks while their brain and body are still growing, it can cause learning problems and lead to alcoholism later in li$e. :t is ery important to spot the warning signs o$ problem drinking be$ore it gets too serious. Some warning signs are mood changes, school problems, a nothing matters attitude, and physical or mental problems (+!. Underage drinking can cause iolence amongst the young drinkers. =hildren who start drinking be$ore the age o$ 17 are 1' times more likely to be in a $ight a$ter drinking and they are 1& times more likely to be in#ured (+!. Although alcohol can increase the chance o$ teens getting in $ights, it can also increase the chance o$ teens ha ing unprotected se%ual acti ity and unwanted se%ual ad ances (+!. Alcohol increases the chance the teenagers contracting se%ually transmitted diseases including H:C, the irus causing A:)s. "he chances o$ teen pregnancy are also increased (*!. )rinking increases the risk o$ being a ictim o$, or carrying out a se%ual or physical assault (*!. "he widespread use o$ teenage drinking is spread out across the United States. :n Arkansas, the a erage age o$ the $irst use o$ alcohol

Hollowell 4 is 11 years. &40 o$ twel$th graders reported binge drinking in the past & weeks >prior to the sur ey?. Also &&.+0 o$ si%th, eighth, tenth, and twel$th graders ha e used alcohol in the past /' days >prior to the sur ey?. "he parents, $riends, and communities o$ those teenagers who choose to underage drink su$$er #ust as much as the drinker. Underage drinking leads to iolence, property damage, and dangerous beha ior. ;hen a teenager drinks, it could lead to death $or themsel es or a person nearby. 5ut o$ the amount o$ people who die in car crashes caused by drunk dri ers, about 170 o$ the deaths are $rom people other than the dri er. :t can cause helpless, innocent li es to be taken. "eenagers are less likely to call their parents or a trusted adult to pick them up a$ter drinking because their parents do not know they drink. 2any students in Aamlico =ounty High School and in many other schools across 9orth =arolina, are going out on the weekend, drinking to the point o$ not remembering what went on, and some o$ them are dri ing themsel es home while being into%icated. :$ someone asked me i$ : knew anyone who dro e while into%icated : could gi e at least $i e names o$ high school students. )rinking while underage is a reckless decision, but posting pictures o$ underage drinking. "he negati e e$$ects o$ underage drinking include that the student who drinks underage and posts about it on a social networking site could su$$er the conseBuences when applying $or college or #obs later in li$e. "he pictures or statuses about getting wasted are locked into the internet $ore er and could be reco ered by college admissions council members or their $uture boss. Underage drinking only causes unnecessary trouble and drama amongst young people. :$ in middle school there were courses that taught the negati e e$$ects o$ underage drinking to students be$ore they got into high school, they would be able to better $ight peer pressure. :t is much harder to con ince a teenager to stop drinking than con incing a preteen to not start drinking. Underage drinking causes the brain se ere damage. :t could cause the brain to not de elop

Hollowell * properly, damage the pleasure sensors, and program the brain $or alcoholism. "he brain is not $ully de eloped until the mid &'(s, any drinking be$ore then can hinder the brain(s growth. )Damage caused to the brain while its de eloping could be irre ersible. Alcohol could cause the li er to shut down or get $atal diseases. "he li er is used to $ilter alcohol and other to%ins that are put into the body and i$ too much is consumed then it could be li$e threatening. :$ you drink alcohol be$ore the age o$ 17 then you are $our times more likely to become alcohol dependent in your li$etime. :$ you begin drinking at or a$ter the legal age, then you only ha e a se en percent chance o$ becoming alcohol dependent or addicted. )rinking a$$ects students by lowering their grades and making it hard $or them to $ocus on school. High school is one o$ the most important times in a person(s li$e because it sets them up $or college and their real li$e #ob. :$ they choose to drink and go downhill in school then their li$e a$ter high school will $ollow that path. "he student(s li$e will be $urther ruined i$ they de elop alcoholism. "here is no Buestion that underage drinking has se ere mental and physical e$$ects that could alter the indi idual $ore er.

Hollowell + ;orks =ited 1. EAlcohol and the )e eloping .rain.E Alcohol and the Developing Brain. Substance Abuse and 2ental Health Ser ices Administration =enter $or Substance Abuse Are ention, 11 2ay &'1&. ;eb. 1+ 2ar. &'1/. FhttpGHHwww.toosmarttostart.samhsa.go H$amiliesH$actsHbrain.asp%I. &. EAlcohol and Aublic Health 3act Sheet.E Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. =enters $or )isease =ontrol and Are ention, &+ 5ct. &'1&. ;eb. &* 3eb. &'1/. FhttpGHHwww.cdc.go HalcoholH$act8sheetsHunderage8drinking.htmI. /. EAlcohol -elated <i er )isease.E Liver Foundation. American <i er 3oundation, 1 5ct. &'11. ;eb. 11 2ar. &'1/. FhttpGHHwww.li er$oundation.orgHabouttheli erHin$oHalcoholI. 1. EJ@" :9C5<C@).E MADD -Teen Brain. 2others Against )runk )ri ing, &'1&. ;eb. 1+ 2ar. &'1/. FhttpGHHwww.madd.orgHunderage8drinkingHwhy&1Hbrains.htmlI. 7. E2yths ersus "ruths about Underage )rinking.E Myths versus Truths about Underage Drin ing. Hanley =enter, &'1/. ;eb. &7 2ar. &'1/. FhttpGHHwww.hanleycenter.orgHpre entionHmyths ersus8truths.htmI. 6. EAarents.E !atural "igh. 9atural High, &'1/. ;eb. &7 2ar. &'1/. FhttpGHHwww.naturalhigh.orgHparentsI. 4. "rudeau, 2ichelle. E"een )rinking 2ay =ause :rre ersible .rain )amage.E !P#. 9A-, &7 Kan. &'1'. ;eb. &7 2ar. &'1/. FhttpGHHwww.npr.orgHtemplatesHstoryHstory.phpLstory:dM1&&467*+'I. *.E"o Are ent and -educe Underage )rinking.E U.S. )epartment o$ Health and Human Ser ices, &''4. ;eb. &1 3eb. &'1/. FhttpGHHwww.surgeongeneral.go HlibraryHcallsHunderagedrinkingHcommunityguide.pd$I. +.EUnderage )rinking.E Jo ernors 5$$ice $or Substance Abuse Are ention, &1 )ec. &'1'. ;eb. &6 3eb. &'1/. FhttpGHHwww.publicsa$ety. irginia.go Hunderagedrinking.pd$I.