Teen drinking — the negative effects
As much as the legal age for alcohol consumption is 18 upwards, a lot of younger teenagers are drinking today.
The aim is not to give prescriptive comments on what should be done but rather highlight some of the cases and effects of alcohol abuse.If I am below the age of 18, there is nothing stopping me from finding someone older to purchase it for me.
I just hand you the money and meet you outside the pub. But these days most teens do not even have to go that far to get alcoholic drink.
Alcohol is readily available at homes, social functions, drink-ups (for those out of the loop, get-togethers organised for one purpose only, to get drunk), restaurants . . . everywhere.
In a teenage behaviour survey done in 2009 (TheBehaviourReport.com), there are some notable findings on Zimbabwean teenagers. The results were taken from a group of young people countrywide, giving about 630 records.
Of these teens, 10% consume ciders, 6% beers, 5% spirits and 2% traditional brews, meaning there are over 20% of this sample alone consuming alcohol.
In some cases some parents have justified this provision of alcohol with the belief that ciders are not as strong as beers.
So, because most of them taste sweet, some as good as peach juice, then it is fine to say it is just a fruit juice with a tinge of alcohol.
However, some ciders have an alcohol content of 5-7% and when consumed in excess, are unhealthy for any young person.
One of the common effects of alcohol is impaired vision and concentration and this will have dire consequences, particularly if teens are driving. Diminished concentration could lead to fatal car accidents and often these accidents affect the other passengers as well.
Another effect, impaired judgement, means that teens are not in a clear position to make decisions on certain matters and could end up regretting their actions.
Sometimes teens end up in fights, indulging in unprotected sex, and other situations they cannot control, only to have to face the consequences the following day.
The teenage brain is still developing and when binge/excess drinking occurs, it could have long-lasting effects on their intellectual capacity.
Excessive drinking may also lead to further alcohol dependence in future, as well as increasing chances of liver cancer and heart disease.
Although it is not possible to make a conclusive prescription, there is need to create awareness of the dangers involved.
The aim is not to give prescriptive comments on what should be done but rather highlight some of the cases and effects of alcohol abuse.If I am below the age of 18, there is nothing stopping me from finding someone older to purchase it for me.
I just hand you the money and meet you outside the pub. But these days most teens do not even have to go that far to get alcoholic drink.
Alcohol is readily available at homes, social functions, drink-ups (for those out of the loop, get-togethers organised for one purpose only, to get drunk), restaurants . . . everywhere.
In a teenage behaviour survey done in 2009 (TheBehaviourReport.com), there are some notable findings on Zimbabwean teenagers. The results were taken from a group of young people countrywide, giving about 630 records.
Of these teens, 10% consume ciders, 6% beers, 5% spirits and 2% traditional brews, meaning there are over 20% of this sample alone consuming alcohol.
In some cases some parents have justified this provision of alcohol with the belief that ciders are not as strong as beers.
So, because most of them taste sweet, some as good as peach juice, then it is fine to say it is just a fruit juice with a tinge of alcohol.
However, some ciders have an alcohol content of 5-7% and when consumed in excess, are unhealthy for any young person.
One of the common effects of alcohol is impaired vision and concentration and this will have dire consequences, particularly if teens are driving. Diminished concentration could lead to fatal car accidents and often these accidents affect the other passengers as well.
Another effect, impaired judgement, means that teens are not in a clear position to make decisions on certain matters and could end up regretting their actions.
Sometimes teens end up in fights, indulging in unprotected sex, and other situations they cannot control, only to have to face the consequences the following day.
The teenage brain is still developing and when binge/excess drinking occurs, it could have long-lasting effects on their intellectual capacity.
Excessive drinking may also lead to further alcohol dependence in future, as well as increasing chances of liver cancer and heart disease.
Although it is not possible to make a conclusive prescription, there is need to create awareness of the dangers involved.
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