Teen’s use of alcohol has a lot of different effects on them, mostly negative. Cristol says the proportion of American children who start drinking alcohol in or before eighth grade has increased by nearly one-third since 1975, according to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University in New York. Also, that girl’s are now just as likely to drink as boys.
Adolescents with alcohol use disorders reported symptoms of health problems in many areas, including sleep difficulties, chest discomfort, breathing symptoms, abdominal complaints, muscle and joint pain, and headaches. The study, however, also found some negative health signs in teens with alcohol use disorders. Blood samples showed that young people with alcohol use disorders had elevated liver enzyme levels and had more abnormalities uncovered in physical exams. Physical exam abnormalities showed up mainly in oral exams. Clark said that adolescents with alcohol problems have inadequate health maintenance behaviors, including less-than-regular tooth brushing, which causes dental cavities and gingivitis. (Cristol)
Alcohol is linked to the top three causes of teen deaths: suicide, homicide, and accidents, including traffic fatalities and drowning. Alcohol can also play a role in irresponsible and potentially dangerous sexual behavior. Compared with teens who don't drink, teenage drinkers are seven times likelier to have sex and twice as likely to have sex with four or more partners. Alcohol-influenced sexual behavior can result in unprotected sex, increasing the risk of AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy, Califano says. n part, the alcohol and entertainment industries are to blame, the report finds. Children and teens are bombarded with TV ads glorifying beer during sports programs, and images like Budweiser's talking lizards have tremendous youth appeal. The alcohol industry also lures minors with sweet-tasting, colorfully packaged drinks. More than 40% of teens have tried beverages like Tequiza and Smirnoff Ice. Meanwhile, the entertainment industry has glamorized and sexualized alcohol in many children's movies. An analysis of 81 G-rated animated films revealed that nearly 50% showed characters using alcohol, often without consequence. In addition, 34% of the movies equated alcohol with wealth, 19% with sexual activity. While the alcohol and entertainment industries may be influencing minors to drink, "we have to point the finger at ourselves," Califano says. Children cite other people's houses as the most common setting for drinking. And one-third of sixth- and ninth-graders get alcohol from their own homes. "Parents tend to see drinking and occasional bingeing as a rite of passage, rather than a deadly round of Russian roulette." (“Researchers…”)
Works Cited
Cristol, Hope. "Teen Drinking Is on the Rise." Futurist 36.4 (2002): 14. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 29 Nov. 2010.
"Researchers find health problems among teen drinkers." DATA: The Brown University Digest of Addiction Theory & Application 20.10 (2001): 7. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 29 Nov. 2010.
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