BINGE DRINKING
Impact On
Adolescents
Binge Drinking
Defined as drinking at least four drinks in a
row for females and five for males on one or
more occasions.
Nearly 9 percent of boys and 7 percent of girls ages 12
to 17 reported binge drinking in the previous month.
Binge drinking: often begins around age 13, tends to
increase during adolescence, peaks in young adulthood
(ages 18 to 22), then gradually decreases.
Among persons under the legal drinking age (12 to 20),
15 percent were binge drinkers and 7 percent were
heavy drinkers.
BINGE DRINKING
WHEN PEOPLE BINGE DRINK, THEY
TAKE IN ALCOHOL FASTER THAN THE
BODY CAN PROCESS IT.
The body can only process ½ ounce of
alcohol per hour.
Ingestion beyond this time frame will result
in alcohol intoxication, coma and possibly
death.
Alcohol Poisoning
A severe and potentially fatal physical reaction to
an alcohol overdose
When excessive amounts of alcohol are
consumed, the brain is deprived of oxygen. The
struggle to deal with an overdose of alcohol and
lack of oxygen will eventually cause the brain to
shut down the involuntary functions that regulate
breathing and heart rate.
Symptoms include:
– Vomiting
– Unconsciousness
– Cold, clammy, pale, or bluish skin
– Slow or irregular breathing (less than 8 breaths a minute or 10 or
more seconds between breaths).
Alcohol poisoning quickly affects bodily
functions that sustain life. As a depressant,
alcohol affects breathing, heart rate and
blood pressure. When people drink too
much in a short time, the areas of the brain
that control these functions can be
sedated—LITERALLY PUT TO SLEEP. If
that happens, people can die because
breathing mechanisms shut down or people
choke on their own vomit.
Underage Drinking can “Program"
the Brain for Alcoholism!
Underage alcohol use greatly increases
the risk of alcoholism, according to the
Institutes of Medicine - National Research
Council report "Reducing Underage
Drinking: A Collective Responsibility."
Start before age 15: Five times more
likely of developing alcohol
dependence than those who begin
drinking alcohol at age 21.
Here's why: The brain is hard-wired to
reward feelings of pleasure so we naturally
want to repeat them. Feelings can range
from an intense emotional "high" to a
happy sense of satisfaction from doing
something well or for someone else. We
remember pleasure from dopamine, a
"feel-good" brain chemical.
Alcohol hijacks the brain's pleasurereward system by stimulating
unusual amounts of dopamine, and
other neurochemicals, creating
feelings of pleasure from a chemical
instead of a natural experience.
Because the teen brain produces an
abundance of dopamine (compared
to an adult), it can rapidly go from
liking, to craving, to needing alcohol,
thus programming it for alcoholism.
Important Fact:
The adolescent brain differs greatly from
that of a mature adult. In fact, research
demonstrates that, among other areas of
the brain, the thinking part of the brain
(Prefrontal Cortex) is not fully developed
until age 24. Use of any substance before
24 can delay, and in some studies, stop
physical brain maturation!
Permanently Reduces Development
Daniel Amen, a neuroscientist and psychiatrist in Southern
California, used SPECT scans to show functional activity levels in
the brain of a healthy non-drinker (left), and that of a sober 21year old with a four-year history of heavy alcohol use (right). The
"holes" indicate areas of reduced brain activity.
Prefrontal cortex:
The prefrontal area [responsible for good judgment,
planning, decision making, impulse control and other
tasks necessary for academic success such as
retaining information, prioritizing, organizing,
completing assignments and preparing for tests.]
undergoes the most change during adolescence.
Researchers found that adolescent drinking could
cause severe changes in this area… which plays an
important role in forming adult personality and
behavior… Damage from alcohol at this time can be
long-term and irreversible.
Prefrontal Cortex
•Hippocampus:
The hippocampus (involved in learning and memory) …suffers
the worst alcohol-related brain damage in teens… Those who
had been drinking more and for longer had significantly smaller
hippocampi (10 percent) …In addition, short-term or moderate
drinking impairs learning and memory far more in youth than
adults… Frequent drinkers may never be able to catch up in
adulthood because alcohol inhibits systems crucial for storing
new information. Source
Weekend Abuse of Alcohol
Seventeen Years of heavy weekend
use (see following slide).
Bottom of Same Brain
Seventeen years of heavy weekend
use (see following slide).
Alcohol and Crime
40% of violent crimes involves alcohol
70% of all crimes are alcohol related
Alcohol is a key factor in
– 68% of manslaughters,
– 62% of assaults,
– 54% of murders/attempted murders,
– 48% of robberies
– 44% of burglaries.
Consequences In College
1,400 college students die from alcoholrelated causes, and 1,100 of these deaths
involve drinking and driving.
500,000 students suffer nonfatal injuries.
400,000 students have unprotected sex.
More than 100,000 students are too
intoxicated to know whether they
consented to sexual intercourse.
Frequent binge drinkers were 21 times more likely than
non-binge drinkers to have :
Missed class
Engaged in unplanned sexual activity
Fallen behind in school work
Not used protection when having sex
Damaged property
Gotten in trouble with police
Been hurt or injured
Driven a car after drinking
The national average age when
youth first try alcohol
11 years for boys.
13 years for girls.
The average age at which Americans
begin drinking regularly is 15.9 years
old.
Alcohol- Still The Leader
The three leading causes of death for
ages 15 – 24 are automobile crashes,
homicides and suicides -- alcohol is a
leading factor in all three.
Alcohol has a GREATER impact
on the developing teen brain
Alcohol impairs the areas that control
motor coordination, impulse control,
memory, and judgment. Kids who drink
are at greater risk for school failure and
dropping out. (Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services AdministrationSAMHSA)
Reasons To Abstain
“A child who reaches age 21 without
smoking, abusing alcohol or using
drugs is virtually certain never to do
so”.
Joseph A. Califano, Jr., Chairman and President, The National
Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University
Communication Tools
Use current research: Kids are curious. “Let me tell you a little bit
about the effects of….or ask them what they know about the
effects/risks.”
Be well informed: Know the facts. Students are sophisticated!
Stay on neutral ground: Illustrate what happens to any user of a
substance, rather than focusing on the student’s use.
State what experts have found, not what you think happens.
Ask, “What do you think of all this?”
Use teachable moments: Use examples from articles, movies,
students’ conversations, etc.
Let them overhear you talking about the subject.
Believe that kids want your help; they value your input but may not
show you.
Refer to a chemical dependency counselor.
Chemical Dependency Programs
for Youth
Daybreak Treatment Center 509-927-1688
(main office), 509-444-7033 (outpatient),
509-927-1991 (Valley office)
Native Project 509-325-5502
Excelsior Youth Center 509-328-7041 xt
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NEWTA provides drug testing at reduced
rates 509-326-7740