"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. There 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.
