Harmful Effects of Alcohol on the Brain - Essay Example

Running Head: ESSAY AND ANALYSIS Essay and Analysis Client’s School Affiliation Problem with walking, unclear eyesight, difficulty in speaking,delayed response time, and damaged memory. These are just some of the harmful effects of alcohol on the brain. To make the matter worse, the concern with drinking today becomes even more complex due to the fact that instances of under-age drinking are rapidly rising, thus increasing reported occurrences of brain damage on teenagers. Jennifer Sheridan in her article “Booze Putting Teen Brains at Risk” further discussed the dangers of under-age drinking. By presenting facts based from the studies and researches she conducted, Sheridan corroborated the high possibility of acquiring brain injury, especially for teenagers who are supposed to be undergoing various brain developmental processes, from drinking too much and/or consuming alcohol during sustained period (Sheridan, 2009). Without appropriate measures to resolve or, at least, minimize, problem with under-age drinking, the young generation’s likelihood to reach their full potential will be curtailed, hence impeding the bright future that awaits them. Alcohol poses as serious threat to the health and well being of the population at our community. Some of the health risks of consuming alcohol include, those who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol related dependence than those who do not drink until they are 21. They have a higher risk of developing cirrhosis of the liver, strokes, pancreatitis, and multiple forms of cancer. Early alcohol consumption takes a toll on youths mentally too. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, an individuals brain continues to develop throughout adolescence, therefore those who drink, may have serious side affects with the functions of their short-term and long term memory. They are more likely to suffer from depression, drop out of school because of a reduced ability to learn and carry out normal brain activity. Alcohol consumed by teenagers is hazardous, not only due to the dangers linked with acute impairment, but also due to the problems that drinking brings to their long-term development and welfare (Sheridan, 2009). From the reports all over the world, the society has witnessed how underage drinking can cause accidents in the road, violence at school, suicide cases, academic failures, and other behavioral concerns brought by underage alcohol consumption. The question is how these teenagers manage to get access to alcoholic beverages despite of the law that prohibits selling of alcohol to youths below 21 years old. According to Bonnie, O’Connell, and National Research Council (2004), teenagers get their access to alcohols from adults. A report shows that more than 90 percent of students from the 12th grade consider getting alcohol “very easy” or “fairly easy” (Bonnie, O’Connell, and National Research Council, 2004). Significantly, these young individuals who are not legally allowed to get access to alcoholic beverages are more reckless drinkers than the adults. On average, these teenagers drink more than what their bodies can take and therefore categorizing them as heavy drinkers (Bonnie, O’Connell, and National Research Council, 2004), or drinking until they black out (Sheridan, 2009). In 2004, a report from the National Survey on Drugs Use and Health stated that there were about 29 percent of young Americans, or approximately 10.8 million young individuals), specifically within the age range of 12-20, who had at least a drink a month prior to the report conducted by the organization (Bonnie, O’Connell, and National Research Council, 2004). Still within this age group, the report further stated that 19.6 percent of these subjects were categorized as binge drinkers, or those who had 5 or more drinks on one occasion, which is considered more than the average American adult can consume. In a study conducted by D’Amico et. al. (2001), they discovered that the start of alcohol consumption in America is between 12 and 13 years of age, and reported 18 to 35% of high school students who are binge drinking. The study pointed out the alarming increase in both the frequency and quantity of alcohol use observed on teenagers. D’Amico and her colleagues realized the critical concerns, both concerning the health and welfare of the teenagers and their society, associated with the dangerous outcomes of binge drinking among underage individuals. As discussed by the study: “intensity of use is associated with more health problems (e.g., accidents, neurological and contagious diseases) for both girls and boys. Furthermore, adolescent drinkers report that because of alcohol consumption they have engaged in behavior they later regretted, had difficulty thinking clearly, and were unable to study or get homework done” (D’Amico et. al., 2001, p. 341). Despite of the apparent dangers that underage alcohol use causes many teenagers still engage in binge drinking. One of the major concerns associated with underage alcohol consumption is the potential brain damage. Those teenagers who are already drinking alcohol even before they reach the legal of 21 are more likely to develop brain impairment that can eventually lead to serious health problems (Sheridan, 2009). Science describes how the human brain develops and undergoes drastic changes during the adolescence years. The prefrontal cortex that is responsible for controlling and planning, organizing, regulating emotions and mood, and improving one’s memory is one part of the brain that continuous to grow and mature before and during the puberty (Spinks, 2000). If the prefrontal cortex matures at its full capacity, this will enable teenagers to make a more rational decision and to manage their impulses well (Spinks, 2000). Exposure to alcohol certainly disrupts the important processes of the brain development, thus minimizing the chances of the young individuals to fully develop their potential. Going back to the subject of alcohol-related brain damage, the scope of this health problem is more encompassing than what is normally perceived. Brain damages that young people can get from early exposure to alcohol and binge drinking vary from potentially having an impaired mental function condition, alcohol-related dementia, alcoholic dementia, and to having alcohol amnesic syndrome (Keady et. al., 2009). In addition to the brain damage conditions that binge drinking can result to, most of the highly essential brain functions, such as attention, planning, decision-making, memory, and processing of information, of any human being can also be negatively affected (Keady et. al., 2009). In the study conducted by Keady et. al. (2009), dementia as one of the serious brain damages caused by binge drinking was further analyzed through conducting an interview with six people with alcohol-related brain damage, and close observation of their interaction with their family and friends. The study’s fundamental objective is to present to the readers the real-life stories of these individuals who are suffering from certain brain damage which they acquired from too much and long-term consumption of alcohols. Moreover, the study aims to help people understand more the dangerous effects of drinking, especially for the young individuals, within a biographical context of the subjects used in the study. The result of the interviews and observations conducted shows how these six subjects, who are experiencing certain brain damage condition due to abusive alcohol consumption, suffer from memory impairment. All of them shared a story or two about how their memory failed them—some got lost in the middle of a street because they could not remember their way back home, while some forgot to bring their cash and only realized it upon paying for their groceries. The stories narrated by the subjects in this study went on and on, however, the main point of this research is to communicate to the public the difficult life that people suffering from brain damage condition caused by abusive alcohol consumption need to endure, and the limited capacities that they are now living with because of binge drinking that enjoyed in the past. Early exposure to alcohol is also perceived to cause alcohol dependency later in life (Sheridan, 2009). Alcohol dependence is a condition in which a person suffers from the perilous effects of habitual consumption of alcohol, and shows a pattern of uncontrollable alcohol use and physiological indicators of alcohol dependence (Long, 2011). Young individuals who start consuming alcohol before they become 15 years old are more likely to become alcohol dependent later in their life than those teenagers who start drinking at the age of 20 or above (Stewart & Brown, 1995). Considering all the apparent effects of underage drinking to the young population of the world, brain damage and alcohol dependency as discussed in this paper, the state and local governments, educational institutions, and other organizations must join efforts in stopping underage drinking. Educating the teenagers about the dangers of early exposure to alcohol is perceived to be the most effective and efficient way of resolving problem with underage drinking. The government, on the other hand, must ensure that all laws pertaining to getting access to alcoholic beverages are strictly implemented to protect the young generation from the harmful effects of alcohol use and abuse. Most importantly, the families of today’s young individuals must always be on the look out for their children’s behavior. Any noticeable and odd behavior that can lead to alcohol addiction should be immediately addressed. References Bonnie, R.J., O’Connell, M.E. & National Research Council (U.S.) Committee on Developing a Strategy to Reduce and Prevent Underage Drinking. (2004). Reducing underage drinking: A collective responsibility. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. D’Amico, E.J., Metrik, J., McCarthy, D.M., Frissell, K.C., Appelbaum, M. & Brown, S.A. (2001). Progression into and out of binge drinking among high school students. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 15(4), 341-349. Keady, J., Clarke, C.L., Wilkinson, H., Gibb, C.E., Williams, L., Luce, A. & Cook, A. (2009). Alcohol-related brain damage: Narrative storylines and risk constructions. Health, Risk & Society, 11(4), 321-340. Long, P.W. (2011). Alcohol dependence. Retrieved January 24, 2012, from http://www.mentalhealth.com/dis/p20-sb01.html. Sheridan, J. (2009). Booze putting teen brains at risk. Retrieved January 24, 2012, from http://www.theage.com.au/national/booze-putting-teen-brains-at-risk-20091031-hqtj.html. Spinks, S. (2000). Adolescent brains are works in progress. Retrieved January 24, 2012, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/work/adolescent.html. Stewart, D.G. & Brown, S.A. (1995). Research report: Withdrawal and dependency symptoms among adolescent alcohol and drug abusers. Addiction, 90, 627-635. Annotated Reference List 1. Richard Bonnie is a Professor of Medicine and Law, of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, and of Public Policy. He teaches and writes publications pertaining to laws and public policies about mental health and substance abuse. Mary Ellen O’Connell is also a Professor of Law and Research Professor of International Dispute Resolution. Their book entitled Reducing Underage Drinking tackles important issues about alcohol use by young individuals and the dangers associated with it. In order to come up with accurate information and an increased book’s reliability, the authors collaborated with other researchers and writers in field of public policy and substance abuse. 2. D’ Amico and her colleagues who conducted the study entitled Progression Into and Out of Binge Drinking Among High School Student are all distinguished professors and researchers of the University of California. In this study, binge drinking among high school students over an academic year was observed. They conducted various analyses and variable testing to identify and predict the escalation and de-escalation of binge drinking. 3. Keady and the other authors of the peer-reviewed article Alcohol-related Brain Damage: Narrative Storyline and Risk Constructions are all experts in the field of brain studies and mental health. Due to the insufficient knowledge of people about the real-life effects of alcohol use, the researchers conducted interviews to six individuals who are suffering from brain damage caused by excessive consumption of alcohol. In the interviews, it was found out that the interviewees were experiencing difficulties living and coping with their current health condition. It was suggested by the study that more funding, policy and education should be provided to help people with alcohol-related brain damage. Read More