ALCOHOL
EVEN A LITTLE IS TOO MUCH
Using alcohol during this developmental period can actually rewire the brain for addiction. Research shows that when teens start drinking alcohol at a young age, they are more likely to continue the habit into adulthood. In fact, teens who begin drinking before age 15 are six times more likely to develop a problem with alcohol later in life than those who begin drinking after age 21.
Why 21?
There’s a good reason that the drinking age is 21 – your brain is still undergoing important development and alcohol interferes with this development, potentially causing permanent changes in your ability to learn and remember.
Alcohol affects you twice as fast as it does for adults and you have a harder time knowing when to stop – and may drink large amounts of alcohol in a short period of time.
HEALTH RISKS OF ALCOHOL
Alcohol disrupts sleep. Alcohol can interfere with sleep patterns by reducing time spent in deep, restful sleep.
Alcohol is a diuretic causing the body to lose important vitamins and minerals required for athletic performance.
Alcohol disrupts the muscle-building process as alcohol is metabolized first, pushing aside other nutrients needed for muscle recovery.
Alcohol spikes the production of cortisol, the body’s stress hormone, which impairs thinking, raises blood pressure, decreases bone density and muscle tissue, and increases abdominal fat.
Alcohol is a diuretic causing the body to lose important vitamins and minerals required for athletic performance.
Alcohol disrupts the muscle-building process as alcohol is metabolized first, pushing aside other nutrients needed for muscle recovery.
Alcohol spikes the production of cortisol, the body’s stress hormone, which impairs thinking, raises blood pressure, decreases bone density and muscle tissue, and increases abdominal fat.
Alcohol Resources
Drug-Free World
Understanding how alcohol affects teens differently than adults.
Alateen
A place just for teens affected by a family member’s use of alcohol.