Each year, over 4,300 youths and teens die due to underage drinking and youth alcoholism. Underaged drinking and youth alcoholism are defined as instances where adolescents under the age of 21 consume alcoholic beverages illegally. In many states, minors are allowed to consume alcohol under certain circumstances, such as for educational, medical, or religious purposes. However, when youth drink alcohol without the consent of a licensed adult and in a non-controlled environment, there can be dangerous consequences. Youth alcoholism needs to be further prevented by the government because it is detrimental to mental health and development of the adolescent brain, causes physical harm to the adolescent, and has negative impacts on different aspects of a youth’s life.
Underaged drinking causes damage to the mental health and development of an adolescent’s brain. In the book Alcohol Abuse and Youth: An Overview, Liz Kramer states that “Psychiatrists link alcohol abuse to disorders such as depression, anxiety, and antisocial behavior extending to Oppositional Defiant Disorder.” This shows that alcohol use in youth leads to many mental illnesses and disorders, which is damaging to the mental state and health of adolescents. Furthermore, in the report, Drinking Over the Lifespan, Micheal Windle MD explains that compared to adults, youth have “different sensitivities to the effects of alcohol” that can lead to “developmental differences in psychosocial tasks and brain development.” This shows that consuming alcohol before reaching the age of 21 can damage or slow the growth of the brain, which is unhealthy for the development of the youth brain.
Youth alcoholism also causes physical harm to the adolescent and those around them. According to Alcohol Abuse and Youth: An Overview, “The three leading causes of death among adolescents (car accidents, murder, and suicide) are all often linked to alcohol use (Kramer 1).” As suggested by this quote, underage drinking inhibits their decision-making skills and creates negative thoughts, leading youth to cause harm to themselves. However, the youths guilty of underaged drinking aren’t the only ones affected. For instance, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that “In 2013, there were approximately 119,000 emergency room visits by persons aged 12 to 21 for injuries and other conditions linked to alcohol.” This statistic includes injuries sustained by adolescents who were drinking, but also those who innocently became involved in these accidents, such as the other motorists on the road while the adolescent was driving under the influence. Thus showing that alcoholism can contribute to the harm of the adolescent, as well as the others who are around them.
Underaged drinking has negative impacts on many different aspects of a youth’s life. According to Micheal Windle MD in the report, Drinking Over The Lifespan, “Alcohol use by early adolescents and youth also remains highly correlated with a range of other risky behaviors, including tobacco use, co-occurring illicit substance use… behavioral problems, drinking-and-driving crashes, suicide, and homicide.” This explains that the influence of alcohol can lead to poor decisions that will continue to have a negative impact on an adolescent’s life. Additionally, the CDC explains that the use of alcohol in adolescence is responsible for “school problems, such as higher absence and poor or failing grades, social problems, such as fighting and lack of participation in youth activities, legal problems… disruption of normal growth… memory problems…” and “changes in brain development that may have life-long effects.” This expresses that alcohol use can not only lead poor decisions in the future but also has more immediate impacts on an adolescent’s life.
Some have claimed that underage drinking should be considered and treated as a mental illness and not punished or controlled by the law. In the article, “Teens Who Abuse Alcohol Should Be Treated By Medical Professionals, Not Punished By the Law,” Patricia George explains that therapy is “a much more productive approach” to underage drinking in youth because it “holds the promise of helping teenaged users change patterns of behavior (George 2).” This quote expresses that rather than preventing youth from drinking, the law should rely on therapy to resolve the issue once it arises because it is an effective method for treatment. While alcohol addiction should be treated, dependency on alcohol cannot develop unless an adolescent feels encouraged to try drinking and can obtain alcohol, both of which can be prevented by the government. The Centers for Disease and Control explains that strategies, including “enforcement of minimum legal drinking age laws, national media campaigns targeting youth and adults… and reducing youth exposure to alcohol advertising” are effective solutions that have decreased underage drinking and related accident rates since 1990. This proves that there are currently effective strategies that the government can use to prevent the harm caused by underage drinking before it occurs.
In conclusion, the government needs to prevent underage drinking because it is damaging to both the mental health and development of the adolescent brain, can cause physical harm to youth and those around them, and has a negative influence on important aspects of an adolescent’s life. Youth alcoholism is associated with many mental illnesses, such as depression, social disorders, and ODD. Underaged drinking also leads to increased homicides, suicides, and vehicle accidents, causing harm not only to the drinker, but also those around them. Finally, underaged drinking has a negative influence on aspects of an adolescent’s life, including reduced academic performance, social issues, and other risky behaviors. Through regulation of the sale and advertisement alcohol, and by reducing youth exposure to alcohol, underage drinking can be prevented. Make the right decision and encourage your peers to do the same, because youth alcoholism doesn’t just ruin lives, it takes them.
Works Cited
CDC. “CDC – Fact Sheets-Underage Drinking – Alcohol.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2 Aug. 2018, www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/underage-drinking.htm.
George, Patricia. “Teens Who Abuse Alcohol Should Be Treated By Medical Professionals, Not Punished By the Law.” Points of View: Alcohol Abuse & Youth, Mar. 2016, p2-2. EBSCOhost, http://web.a.ebscohost.com/pov/com.
Kramer, Liz, and Sprague, Nancy. “Alcohol Abuse & Youth: An Overview.” Points of View: Alcohol Abuse & Youth, Mar. 2016, p. 1. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=pwh&AN=23699115&site=pov-live.
Windle, Michael. “Drinking Over the Lifespan: Focus on Early Adolescents and Youth.” Alcohol Research: Current Reviews, vol. 38, no. 1, Jan. 2016, p. 95. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=115170586&site=pov-live.