Teens tempted to drink often lose control

Many teens forget or ignore the long-term effects of alcohol.
By LIBBY ALLARD
KNIGHT RIDDER TRIBUNE
A teenager may be tempted to join in drinking at a party when it seems everyone else is doing it.
But one drink often becomes many, and that brings huge health dangers. And even if it is just one, it still could have serious legal, parental and educational implications.
Graduation parties and summer bashes provide a fertile breeding ground for bad alcohol habits.
The American Medical Association says that people under 21 account for up to 20 percent of all alcohol consumption in the United States, and many Americans first taste alcohol as early as age 12.
The 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, conducted by an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, reported that nearly 11 million youth drink, and of those, 7.2 million are "binge drinkers" who consumed four or more alcoholic beverages in one sitting.
Long-term effects
Many teenagers know the indicators of drunkenness -- dulled senses, spinning vision, impaired coordination, memory lapses, altered perceptions and a lack of inhibition -- but they forget or ignore the long-term effects. Alcohol depresses the nervous system, and since it goes directly into the bloodstream, it affects almost every organ in the body.
And if any teen thinks youth somehow makes him less susceptible to being drunk, he's kidding himself, said Jon Cukjati, 18, of West Allis, Wis. Cukjati said he's seen teens and adults drink, and afterward they all behave the same.
Several studies have shown that children and teens who start drinking early have a greater chance for brain damage. Alcohol also can cause stomach ailments, high blood pressure, impotence, heart and central nervous system damage, blackouts, depression and loss of appetite.
Some teens think they can tell when they're getting drunk and stop before becoming very intoxicated, but experts say it can take 30 to 90 minutes after the last drink before the effects of alcohol peak.
This can lead to dangerous behavior such as driving under the influence.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, when blood-alcohol level reaches as low as 0.01 the attention span of a drinker shortens, reaction time slows and vision becomes impaired.
The safety administration also says at 0.02, the ability to steer a car is affected; at 0.04 overall coordination becomes impaired; and at 0.07 the ability to measure speed is damaged.
What some teens fail to consider is that alcohol can have the worst long-term health effect possible: death.
Annual deaths
According to the National Survey, alcohol consumption contributes to 100,000 deaths annually. It is the third leading cause of preventable mortality in the United States, behind tobacco and other patterns.
Aside from the indirect causes such as drunken driving accidents, enough alcohol -- the amount some young people consume during binge drinking episodes -- can kill directly by fatal alcohol poisoning.
According to the California Emergency Nurses Association, a female weighing 135 pounds would have to drink nine 12-ounce beers in one hour, or have 10 shots of 96 proof alcohol to reach this level. A male weighing 175 pounds would have to drink 12 beers or have 15 shots in an hour to reach such critically dangerous intoxication.
To get an idea of how much alcohol leads to what kinds of blood-alcohol levels, checking out a calculator at www.ou.edu/oupd/bac.htm.
Too much emphasis
In spite of the numbers, some teens still don't mind drinking.
Kristin Czubkowski, a 17-year-old student at New Berlin Eisenhower High School in New Berlin, Wis., said she doesn't think "a lot of teens are responsible in their drinking; they make drinking the reason for their social activity rather than just a part of it."
On the other hand, though, Czubkowski said that while she doesn't drink, "I don't have a problem with others using alcohol as long as they are responsible and aren't doing it for the wrong reasons."
Luke, a 16-year-old from New Berlin who didn't want his last name used, admits he drinks and says he does so for the wrong reason. "For a while it lets you forget about everything and gives you an excuse to be wild or dumb," he said, though he admitted that alcohol "has never solved any of my problems."
XLibby Allard is a student at New Berlin Eisenhower High School in New Berlin, Wis.