Consequences of Teenage Drinking
Most teens encounter alcohol at some point before adulthood. Many think that drinking is “no big deal” and that parents make too big of an issue about it. Some experiment with drinking and don’t ever face serious challenges. Many, however, find that teenage drinking has many consequences.
According to info published by the Mayo clinic, consequences occur with teenage drinking regardless of the reasons teen drink. That is to say, whether teens justify drinking as just a fun occasional thing, an escape from pressure, or an addiction, or for any other reason, the outcomes and problems that can arise from teenage drinking are often the same. For example, the mayoclinic.com indicates that these consequences can lead to:
- Sexual activity: Teens who drink tend to become sexually active earlier and have sex more often than do teens that don’t drink. Teenagers who drink are also more likely to have unprotected sex than are teens that don’t drink.
- School problems: Teenagers who drink tend to have more academic and school related conduct problems than do teens that don’t drink.
- Alcohol-related fatalities: Alcohol-related accidents are a leading cause of teen deaths. Teen drowning, suicides and murders also have been linked with alcohol use.
- Alcoholism: People who begin drinking as teenagers are more likely to develop alcohol dependence and deal with alcoholism than are people who wait until they’re adults to drink.
- Violent crime: Teenagers who drink are more likely to be hurt in a violent crime, such as rape, assault or robbery.
- Mental Health: Research shows that alcohol use might permanently distort a teen’s mental development.
Teenage drinking is not only illegal; it is, as shown above, a serious problem with potential major effects. Talking to your teenager about drinking is an effective tool to educate them about these consequences.
Source: mayoclinic.com