Is alcohol really bad for young people?

The advice from Sir Liam Donaldson that parents should not give their children under 15 alcohol has provoked media interest today. Sir Liam said studies had shown those who begin drinking early are more likely to develop alcohol-related problems. 'The more they get a taste for it, the more likely they are to be heavy drinking adults or binge drinkers later in childhood,' Sir Liam said.

But critics said parents should be left to use their own 'common sense' and warned an outright ban on alcohol risked increasing its allure as 'forbidden fruit'. ~ Whatever your view, it does seem that alcohol abuse in young people is on the increase, with a prevailing culture of binge drinking and going out to get drunk. But what does alcohol abuse do to the body?

Alcohol abuse over the long term has been shown in many brain imaging studies to actually, physically shrink the region of the brain that commands learning and memory. The shrinkage is more extensive in the cortex of the frontal lobe, which is known to be the center of higher intellectual functions, and of course this shrinkage will increase with continued alcohol use and age.

Short-term memory loss is usually the first noticeable sign of alcohol related damage.
Progressive brain shrinkage was shown in a study that conducted periodic imaging in alcoholics over a five year period. The amount of brain shrinkage was directly related to the amount of alcohol consumed, but there was no question that the shrinkage far exceeded anything in the normal range.

Until around age 18 -19 the human brain is still in the process of development and may be more susceptible to damage than the adult brain. In adolescents who regularly drink alcohol, parts of the brain which are important in planning and emotional control have been found to be smaller than expected.

I'm not against drinking alcohol and enjoy a glass of wine or beer from time to time. I have to wonder if the real problem lies deeper than the alcohol, in that people have to drink it in order to have a "good time". Is this a behaviour that young people learn from their parents and then go on to exhibit themselves? I know I find that heavy drinkers find it difficult to accept that I can have a good time when I'm choosing not to drink.

Just food for thought - and you can make your own mind up!

(You can read more about alcohol awareness on our website www.myhealthnetwork.co.uk)