DRUNK CHILDREN

In one hospital doctors and nurses reported treating as many as 100 intoxicated children a week during the summer vacation. "More than 70 percent of staff believed that children admitted to hospital for alcohol abuse were getting younger," says the paper. Also, a recent government report shows that alcohol-related deaths in Britain have tripled in 20 years. While heavy drinking may be considered a game to some, it is a very dangerous game! Excessive amount of alcohol deprive the brain of oxygen; vital bodily functions can begin to shut down. Symptoms may include vomiting, unconsciousness, and slow or irregular breathing. In some cases death can result. About a month after graduating from high school, 17-year-old Ese went to an “all-you-can-drink” party. Ese consumed 18 drinks before passing out. Her older sister then came and took Ese home. The next morning, Ese’s mother found her dead. Overdrinking may rarely cause death directly, but it still poses a health threat. “Alcohol can raise havoc with any organ in your body,” says mental-health expert Jerome Levin. “Alcohol’s favorite targets are the nervous system, the liver, and the heart.” Says an article in Discover magazine: “New research suggests that young drinkers are courting danger. Because their brains are still developing well into their twenties, teens who drink excessively may be destroying significant amounts of mental capacity. Chronic alcohol consumption is also associated with increased acne, premature wrinkling of the skin, weight gain, damage to internal organs, alcohol dependency, and drug addiction. There are other dangers associated with overdrinking. If you become drunk, you may be vulnerable to mistreatment. You can become the victim of physical assault or even rape. At the same time, you might well be a danger to others, engaging in out-of-control forms of behavior that you would not even consider if sober. The painful consequences can include ruined friendships, poor performance at school and work, a criminal record, and poverty. THE PRESSURE TO DRINK Despite such dangers, alcohol is heavily promoted and readily available in many lands. In fact, drinking alcohol is glamorized in TV and magazine advertisements. More often, though, young people succumb to binge drinking as a result of peer pressure. In an alcohol awareness survey taken in Australia, 36 percent of the young ones questioned said that they drank primarily “to fit in at social activities.” In the chaotic atmosphere of a “beer bash,” an otherwise shy person can become the life of the party as his peers urge him to down drink after drink. Young Katie was brought home in a coma after doing so. Her “friends” had given her alcohol, saying: “Come on, Katie, you are a big girl now. You should learn to chug it.” The desire to have a good time and to fit in with others is so powerful that despite compelling evidence that binge drinking is dangerous, it continues to be popular. According to one U.S. study, “frequent binge drinkers were eight times more likely than non-binge drinkers to miss a class, fall behind in schoolwork, get hurt or injured, and damaged property.” BINGE DRINKING –TRAGIC STATISTICS The following statistics reveal the sad consequences of binge drinking among college student in the United States: DEATH: Each year 1,400 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including motor vehicle crashes. INJURY: 500,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are unintentionally injured when under the influence of alcohol. ASSAULT: More than 600,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking. SEXUAL ABUSE: More than 70,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape.