Alcohol drinking among adolescents is a growing concern of our society.

It is known as one of the major cause of vehicle accidents and liver diseases, but theres a lot more we dont know about the effects of alcohol in our body, particularly in adolescents. Alcohol is one of the most common drugs used among adolescents, and it affects their health differently than adults, physically and psychologically. The term adolescence literally means "to grow into adulthood", although some dictionaries define the term "to come of age". (The word adult comes from the word adultus, the past participle of adolescre, which means "to grow up".) (Jaffe 19) This only means that an adolescents body and mind are still developing and need a long way to go before it fully mature. As a child reached adolescence, the most crucial stage of growth and development of someone's life that begins with the onset of puberty and ends when an individual is economically self-sufficient and has taken over on several adult roles, not only they develop their health physically, also psychologically. Physical health is measured by what we can do and what we cant do. These physical changes may be the broadening of hips, developing of breasts and monthly menstrual flow for the girls, or deepening of voice, forming of muscles and emphasized of the Adams apple for the boys, or the increase in height and weight, growth of pubic hair and having acnes for the both. While, the psychological health is about doing things that give you a sense of enjoyment and achievement. This pertains

to mental, emotional and spiritual health. One of these changes is being very curious about their surroundings. They want to try new things; they also want to know what it feels like to do adult things, particularly drinking alcohol. Adolescents who are drinking liquor are likely to be trying to escape from the dissatisfaction of his life, particularly his family, job or peer group (Grinder 118). They seem to be focusing on the implications of how they mix with their family and friends. If someone is drinking alcohol there sure are risk factors considered. Experts have found that there are a number of risk factors that make a teen more likely to have problems with AOD use in the future. These include individual, family, and community risk factors. (Colorado State University) For example, an adolescents curiosity is at its peak, this causes a big number of adolescents experiment with legal and illegal substances. This experimentation normally begins with beer and wine, followed by cigarettes and liquor, and then marijuana (Jaffe 518). There is a pattern that they seem to be following, starting from a drugs used in a common social act to stronger drugs.

This image is adapted from http://www.teen-safe.org/scientific-info/what-parents-should-never-do

Youngsters having their parents or older siblings using alcohol or other drugs are more likely to become involved themselves. They like to appear grown up by copying adult habits such as consuming alcohol (Lowe 18). It's not only they like to appear like it that they are drinking; sometimes they may also feel the need of being independent from their parents.

The community factors include peer groups, media and culture. Adolescents are likely to drink mainly for pleasure: to be one of the crowd and to celebrate special occasions. (GRINGER 118) Culture is the collected beliefs, customs, and behaviors of a group (Bronson 8). If one's environment doesn't tolerate alcohol then the more likely they are not to be a drinker. Dr. Mark S. Gold, author of the bestselling book, The Facts about Drugs and Alcohol, stated that, "Alcohol's continued used and abuse is partly due to the fact that we give it such a high profile in movies, television and advertisements" (Tacio 21). Adolescents, as known to be fond of televisions, computers, and other gadgets, will most probably be exposed to alcohol and other drugs.

This image is adapted from http://www.breakingthecycles.com/blog/2009 /02/14/teen-brain-development-and-alcohol/

The images above show the brain activity of a 15-year-old nondrinker, left, and a drinker, right. The most alarming evidence of physical damage comes from federally financed laboratory experiments on the brains of adolescent rats subjected to binge doses of alcohol. These studies found significant cellular damage to the forebrain and the hippocampus. And although it is unclear how directly these findings can be applied to humans, there is some evidence to suggest that young alcoholics may suffer analogous deficits. Studies conducted over the last eight years by federally financed

researchers in San Diego, for example, found that alcoholic teenagers performed poorly on tests of verbal and nonverbal memory, attention focusing and exercising spatial skills like those required to read a map or assemble a precut bookcase.

This image is adapted from http://www.teensafe.org/scientific-info/research-suggeststeen-brain-responds-differently-drugs

The image shows how alcohol affects adult brains differently than adolescent brains. In adults, alcohol impairs judgment, learning and motor coordination. In adolescents, alcohol impairs judgment and learning BUT not motor coordination (Teen Safe). Adolescents seem to be more sensitive to the socially relaxing effects of alcohol. There may be changes in vision, hearing, and muscular control, ranging from slight impairment in the performance of coordinated tasks to a

staggering gait, thick speech and paralysis of the voluntary muscles of the lungs and heart (which could result in death from respiratory failure). (Grinder 117) The things that we thought were just for fun, for celebrating, causes us to lose ourselves. These side effects of alcohol, made it as a major contributor to disability and death in the 1520 years old group (Lowe 20).

This image is adapted from http://www.breakingthecycles.com/blog/2009/02/ 14/teen-brain-development-and-alcohol/

Alcohol affects an adolescents brain development in many ways. underage drinking effects specific brain activities like deal with emotion, memory, learning, motivation and judgment that are at the back part of the brain are the last to develop and, as such, are the most deeply affected by alcohol (or drug abuse) during ages 12 through 20, often through age 25. For example, if a teen abuses alcohol, the

neural connections associated with memories and experiences related to alcohol abuse are the ones that are strengthened and thus embedded. (Too Smart to Start) Psychological changes among adolescents like mood swings and short temper are more likely the consequences of these effects among them. Adolescents are still growing and developing their body and mind. They take risks to be able to grow to prove that they can be independent from their parents, even consuming things like alcohol which is one of the most common drugs used among adolescents, and it affects their health differently than adults, physically and psychologically.