Just Five More...

Rebecca - 9F Journalism

Looking to unwind after a long week of school, homework and all of life’s little stress makers, a Friday night party may seem like a great idea. Maybe it’s not even a party, just a friend over with an unlocked liquor cabinet. Either way, it’s still alcohol and you’re still not supposed to be having it. Of course, the fact that it’s forbidden just makes it better. One drink every once in a while, what’s the big deal? If you never drink, it’s not a problem. You have a bit too much one night, but that’s all said and done. It was a party, after all. Soon enough, all the excuses crumble and leave you faced with the harsh reality.

47 percent of 43, 093 adults who began drinking before the age of fourteen felt that they became dependant on alcohol at some point of their lives. That’s nearly 20, 000 adults saying that drinking in Junior High made them feel dependant on alcohol throughout the later years. 9 percent of these adults claim they were dependant on alcohol at some point in their lives-

after trying their first drink after they turned 21. 38 percent difference, all for waiting a couple years. And those aren’t the scariest facts about teenage drinking.

Binge drinking, which is properly classified as five or more drinks in one evening or sitting, affects the teenage brain much more than the adult one. “We definitely didn’t know 5 or 10 years ago that alcohol affected the teen brain differently,” Dr. White, a doctor doing research on teen binge drinking at Duke University stated. Every time you take a drink, your brain starts to slow down its thinking. After just two drinks, there is a noticeable difference. A study on lab rats proved after cellular shut down made learning and remembering harder after drinks.

Next time you reach for another beer, just remember the long-time effects it could have on your brain. No one is telling you to never drink, because even scientists and doctors agree that will never work. Permanent brain damage for life, or a somewhat fun night that you can only scarcely remember? The decision is yours, make it.



Information Came From:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/04/health/04teen.html?_r=3&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1205431487-HiNIlpccqTMGxINT3CCE7g&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

http://www.focusas.com/alcohol.html

Alcoholics Anonymous Websites:
http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org/?Media=PlayFlash
http://www.aacanada.com/

For Parents:
http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/alcohol-abuse/teen-alcohol-and-drug-abuse-topic-overview