The Effects of Alcohol on Young Minds

By: Sree Marella

Adolescence, ages 11-19, is the building foundation and growth stage for human development, meaning adolescents must take care of their bodies early on in order to create a healthy basis for their future health. Sometimes, when introduced to alcoholic beverages at a young age, it's difficult to quit, especially when it's a recurring situation. Alcohol not only slows brain development, but it also reduces the ability to learn and memorize content, resulting in impaired learning and limited body growth. During such a crucial time period in their lives, adolescents must also learn to make good decisions about themselves and start interacting a lot more with the people around them. However, with teens that chronically drink, their decision-making skills as well as speech start to deteriorate, stopping them from reaching their full potential, whether that's at school or during work. Impulsive decisions such as drinking and driving, substance abuse, and fights could eventually lead to injuries or possibly even death in some serious cases. Alcohol abuse has also been correlated with many types of organ cancers including the stomach and pancreas, as alcohol alters the development and growth of the endocrine and nervous systems. In conclusion, addiction is difficult to quit, even if people may think they have self-control. A large portion of these people that think they may have self-control are teenagers with a bright future ahead of them, and when they are not able to overcome the habit, it can be extremely dangerous for them as well as the people around them.