"Alcohol related crashes are the leading cause of deaths for teens," states Dr. It's drinking that harms or endangers the drinker or other people. Drinking and driving is an extremely dangerous form of alcohol abuse. Teenage drinking may cause fights with family and friends, sometimes ending in injuries or death. Loss of coordination and judgment makes drinkers accident prone. Teenage arrests for drunkenness or creating a disturbance are not only embarrassing but they can also mean a damaging arrest record (7). Teenage alcoholism is a serious problem which destroys the lives of many adolescents. In order to understand the controversial issue of alcoholism, it is necessary to explore some background information. Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language defines alcoholism as "a diseased condition due to the excessive use of alcoholic beverages" (35). In a medical sense, the physical effects are quite frightening. Th!.
ere is a great risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer. The brain tissue is destroyed and can't be replaced (Peele 15). Historically speaking, even in ancient times, the use of beer and wine sometimes led to drunkenness. Moderation was the most frequently recommended remedy (Plesser 3). Peer pressure contributes to more and more teenagers consuming alcohol. "Eight out of every ten high school seniors have tried alcohol more than once" ("Alcohol" NP). Teenagers may not have much experience with alcohol, so it's hard for them to judge their own limits. Since they are less mature than adults, they are more likely to overact and lose control when intoxicated. To show evidence of the effects of alcohol on teenagers, a couple of case studies have been selected. The first one involves David, a 17 year old high school senior. He was a gifted athlete and scholar until he turned to alcohol. The symptoms began to show up by David infuriating his basketball coach and being told to never come b!.