Even though teenage binge drinking has been on the decline over the past couple of years, it is still problem. Binge drinking is when a teenager drinks way too much alcohol in a short period of time. In worse case scenarios, the teen gets alcohol poisoning. The body can only eliminate alcohol so fast from its system. When too much alcohol is introduced into the system the body can’t cope and shuts down.
There are some real consequences to binge drinking. This activity can lead to death. There are thousands of teen deaths each year because of binge drinking. Over 30 percent of teen driving accidents and deaths are due to drinking. In fact, suicides, homicides and car accidents are the three major reasons that a teenager dies. There is also a link between violent teens and drinking. The next phase of an ongoing drinking teen is an addicted adult. Thirty-five percent of alcoholic adults became that way by the time they were 19 years old.
There is a list of problems that come up with binge drinking.
1. Getting Nausea
2. Vomiting
3. Fainting
4. Hard time breathing
5. Possible Seizures
6. Possible Coma
7. Alcohol poisoning
8. Possible death
If it becomes a habit, then more problems come along.
1. Stomach ulcers
2. Liver failure
3. Heart disease
4. Brain damage
If the alcohol is mixed with any other drug, illegal or prescription, then the risk of major health problems is greater.
Binge drinking is an illegal activity so if a teen becomes toxic with alcohol poisoning, their friends hesitate to get help for fear of getting into trouble. It is important to educate teens about the dangers of drinking alcohol. They think it is OK because their parents drink. They don’t think they have a problem because they don’t drink everyday. Most teens think they are invincible and that the statistics couldn’t be about them. There are new campaigns in the public that are coming from teenagers who have had bad experiences and are sharing their torrid story with their peers. Teens need to feel like they can blow off some angst without the use of drugs or alcohol. They also need to learn what to say to other teenagers who are looking to get high. They need to be encouraged to be around other teens who have a more positive peer interaction going on. For a teenager, it is really important to make good friend choices.
