The Consequences of Underage Drinking

Witnessing your child struggle with a drinking problem (also known as “alcohol use disorder”) can be as heartbreaking as it is frustrating. Your teen may be falling behind at school, disrupting family life, and even stealing money to finance their habit https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/what-happens-when-you-stop-drinking-alcohol/ or getting into legal difficulties. Drinking problems affect families all over the world from every different background. Some kids drink alone or with friends to alleviate boredom; others drink to gain confidence, especially in social situations.

• Underage drinking can have serious implications that may not show up until later in your child’s life.
• For example, long-term alcohol consumption can lead to cardiovascular diseases, liver disease, cancer, nerve damage and respiratory infections.
• As a result, there’s a decline in memory, cognitive abilities, attention span and overall judgment.
• It may be your instinct to warn your child of all the dangers in the middle of a heated moment, but this is not always the best approach.
• While the legal drinking age is 21 in the United States, laws vary state by state.

Kids who drink during this time can suffer real damage—exposing their developing brains, lives, and mental health to serious, even deadly, consequences. Help the kids in your life understand the risks of underage drinking by getting the facts for yourself. This means they consume an excessive amount of alcohol in a short period of time. Binge drinking for males involves having 5 or more drinks in a 2 hour period, and 4 or more drinks for females in the same timeframe. It is extremely risky behavior that can lead to a host of problems, including alcohol poisoning. Frequent excessive drinking will begin to take a toll on a person’s personal life, relationships, school work and possibly professional goals down the road.

Help for Teens Struggling With Alcohol Abuse

If in violation of the alcohol provision, a minor is guilty of a 1st degree misdemeanor. The minor may be subject to a fine and loss of driving privileges upon conviction. Underage drinking has serious consequences for a young person’s life, affecting everything from their behavior and relationships to their long-term health.

• In particular, explain how drinking alcohol can affect decision-making, physical health and safety.
• It will generally require a competent attorney to handle the case to help ensure a more favorable outcome.
• Explain to your teen that this lack of privacy is a consequence of having been caught using alcohol.
• A minor with previous alcohol-related convictions will have their driver’s license suspended for one year if they do not attend alcohol awareness training required by the judge.

Adding to the concerns are studies providing scientific evidence that alcohol significantly impairs learning and memory in teens. Drugs and alcohol have a powerful neurologic influence, especially in the developing brain. Learn the truth about addiction and how to successfully address it in adolescents.

Providing alcohol to minors

But ultimately, focusing on the benefits of a life free from alcohol can be incredibly productive and healing. Underage drinking affects decision-making skills and impulse control, potentially leading to legal issues. Many underage drinkers may participate in vandalism, property damage, assault, and driving under the influence. While they will face trial as juveniles, crimes like these can follow offenders into adulthood and even begin a pattern of more crime if not addressed. Aside from the mental health concerns, underage drinking increases the risk of alcohol poisoning and unplanned pregnancy. Long-term alcohol use that begins in childhood can later lead to liver and heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, and stroke.

Chris is a storyteller and aims to share his story with others in the hopes of helping them achieve their own recovery. Your child should understand they are not alone in the recovery journey and that their family will support them through the process. Instead of focusing on punishments or restrictions, try and meet your child halfway.

Just How Does Drinking Affect the Teenage Brain?

Boosting GABA in the brain could be a potentially effective way of protecting the teenage brain, staving off behavior that could lead to drinking and other risk-taking behaviors. One promising, natural means of boosting GABA is through the practice consequences of drinking of yoga. Investigations, including studies conducted at McLean, into yoga as a way of boosting teenage brain GABA are currently underway. For teens, drinking impairs memory and learning, but motor control is significantly less affected.

It’s common for underage drinkers to hang around peers that encourage or push them to consume alcohol. Information about these new friends is often limited and they generally keep a distance from family members. An adolescent may be very general when talking about hanging out with their new group of friends such as where they’re going, who will be there and when they’ll be back home. Underage law enforcement personnel can legally purchase and consume alcohol while conducting undercover operations in various states.

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As your child ages, the conversation will likely change—what you say to a 9-year-old about alcohol is different from what you say to a 15-year-old. With that in mind, have these conversations frequently about various aspects of alcohol. One large “info dump” can be overwhelming, and your child likely won’t absorb all the information at once. IOP does not offer medical detoxification services, unlike inpatient rehab and some PHPs. If your child needs medical detox services, you can get a referral for a detox center before an IOP treatment begins. Many programs are available to assist you and your child despite how frightening this process can be.