Teenage drinking causes fears and concerns for many parents. But teens should beware of excessive drinking because it can lead to dangerous consequences and even death. Alcohol abuse can disrupt normal development for young people, lead to serious conflicts with family or friends, and destroy the lives of teen drinkers and the people around them.
Accidents
Major hazards result from drinking and driving for teens who abuse alcohol. Driving while intoxicated can lead to legal problems that plague them for years, but it can also lead to deaths. Alcohol-related traffic accidents are a leading cause of death for teens, according to the Mayo Clinic. Teen drownings are also consequences of alcohol abuse, the Mayo Clinic notes.
Violence
Teens who drink too much are more prone to being victims of assault, rape and robbery, according to the Mayo Clinic, which adds that suicides and murders are also linked to teen drinking.
Risky Sex
Teens who drink often become involved in sexual activity earlier than other people and they have more sex than teens who do not drink, according to the Mayo Clinic. Teens who abuse alcohol are susceptible to unprotected sex, sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies.
Alcohol Poisoning
Binge drinking is often defined as drinking five or more drinks for men and four or more drinks for women during one episode. Heavy binge drinking includes three or more occurrences in two weeks. Binge drinking has become popular for many teens, but it can lead to careless, risky and dangerous behavior. One of the most serious consequences of binge drinking is alcoholic poisoning, according to TeensHealth. It can lead to confusion, unconsciousness, irregular breathing, low body temperature and seizures. Alcohol poisoning interferes with the body's gag reflex and can cause people to choke to death on their vomit.
Health Risks
Excessive drinking has a significant effect on the brain that can cause long-term thinking and memory difficulties, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The brains of adolescents are still maturing, which causes further complications. The NIAAA adds that it is still not known how much damage can be done to the brain when drinking begins in adolescence. Elevated liver enzymes, indicating some liver damage, have been found in some adolescents who drink alcohol. Normal organ development is affected when young people start drinking. It can upset the hormonal balance, possibly interfering with the maturation of the reproductive system, the muscles and the bones, according to the NIAAA.
Alcoholism
The causes for alcoholism include genetic and environmental factors. Teens with a family history of alcoholism or teens who surround themselves with peers who drink alcohol have an increased risk of developing alcoholism. Many young people who drink to excess become alcoholics in the teen years. Others start to develop patterns for drinking problems in their teens and become alcoholics in the years that follow. Drinking is a serious problem if it affects relationships, school and social activities, or how a person thinks and feels, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.
