Diamond Allen

Ms. Wach
Wellness Fair Research Paper
March 16, 2016
Think Before You Drink

Alcoholism is an incurable disease portrayed by undisciplined drinking and a

fixation with alcohol. This deadly disease touches many lives, a surprising number of
which are children between the ages of 13 and 18. Alcohol affects not just adults, but also
young adults by bothering their mental stability, organ growth, and physical appearance.
Despite the fact that someone who is drunk often exhibits stimulated activity, alcohol
actually acts as a depressant, a drug that lowers neurotransmission levels shortening the
passage of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are what sends messages through the
body. Alcohol consumption affects the development of the brain, in young adults,
resulting in slow mental responses, memory loss, and physiological problems.

According to World of Healths article, alcohol consumption affects the

development of the brain in young adults, resulting in slow mental responses. After
prolonged exposure to alcohol, the brain adapts to the changes made by alcohol and
becomes dependent on it(World of Health). This data explains that drinking while under
the age of twenty-one can have abiding effects on a young adult's body by staying with
them into adulthood. As alcohol consumption increases and levels of alcohol in the blood

rise the reflexes are slowed. When consuming alcohol it will change people's senses are
altered and the things that theyd normally do or think might not come to mind or might
not happen because of the power of the alcohol. Symptoms include pronounced
confusion, labile emotions (abrupt mood changes, laughing or crying readily), increased
ataxia, decreased pain sensation, slurred speech, staggering, sensory impairment
(Wulffson). This quote is saying by certain amounts of alcohol, different activities could
occur, such as sexual assault, car accidents, domestic violence, etc.When blood alcohol
content is of 0.18 to 0.30 percent then it can cause mental confusion. With a BAC of
0.18-0.30% the person could experience abrupt mood changes, loss of control of bodily
movements, intense ataxia (the loss of full control of bodily movements), and pronounced
confusion. As slow mental responses can be caused by alcohol consumption, memory
loss can also.

According to Underage Drinking, alcohol consumption affects the development

of the brain, in young adults, resulting in memory loss. Scientists believe that
consumption of alcohol affects adolescents developing brains and may lead to memory
problems and brain abnormalities (Underage Drinking). Adolescents organs are still
growing and developing and alcohol can delay this while also and affecting their
memory. Alcohol can mess with the adolescents brain cells by making them forgetful and
confused often. Long term neuropsychiatric effects of alcohol abuse include confusion;
dementia; anterograde amnesia (Wulffson). Alcohol consumption in adolescents can
cause blackouts and the loss of memory during an episode of heavy drinking. Alcohol

abuse can also contribute to immune system problems and brain damage. As said in the
article of Drinking also increases the risk of death from car crashes and other accidents
(World of Health). Alcohol can affect a persons memory and impair judgement by
causing them to be overcome with anger and do things they wouldnt do if sober.
Drinking alcohol not only affects memory but can also cause physiological problems
such as gout, nerve damage, and pancreatitis.

According to Alcohol, alcohol consumption affects the development of the

brain, in young adults, resulting in physiological problems. One thing that supports this
idea is alcohol in young adults causes slurred speech, stomach cancer and nausea
(Blachford, Krapp). Young adults bodies arent capable of handling alcohol in their
system, which is why many of these things happen such as mood and personality
changes, anxiety, depression, shortened attention span, coordination problems, coma,
death. Excessive drinking in young adults can cause these issues too. Alcohol can lower
testosterone levels; Because its a depressant, it slows down various bodily functions,
which in turn triggers the feelings of drunkenness. Alcohol can affect womens
menstrual cycle and reduce their chance of conceiving (Blachford, Krapp). The
excessive use of alcohol in young adults can interrupt the reproductive systems in men,
women, and can also cause fetal alcohol syndrome. Alcohol can suppress the immune
system, making people more susceptible to infections (Blachford, Krapp). The
consumption of alcohol in young adults makes the immune system too weak to fight
against illnesses and viruses. Young adults organs are still developing and as a result of

consuming alcohol, the brain will not be able to make the right decisions for the body and
can be permanently damaged.

How does the consumption of alcohol alter the advancement of the cerebrum in
young adults. Drinking alcohol can influence the growth of the brain by interrupting the
advancement of the internal organs. The brain in young adults is very sensitive and
something like alcohol can disorganise its growth. Alcohol consumption can contribute to
memory loss in young adults by making errors when recalling information from memory.
Alcohol isnt just an internal problem, symptoms can be long lasting and be shown
outside of the body. Considering the brain is in charge of the functions in the body, using
alcohol disrupts the growth by inhibiting neurotransmitters. Alcohol has many effects on
young adults organs, specifically the brain, and can permanently damage them.

Work Cited

"Alcohol." Drugs and Controlled Substances: Information for Students. Ed. Stacey L.
Blachford and Kristine Krapp. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Student Resources in Context.
Web. 4 Feb. 2016

"Alcohol use and abuse." World of Health. Gale, 2007. Student Resources in Context.
Web. 28 Jan. 2016

Juvenile Drinking." Gale Student Resources in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Student
Resources in Context. Web. 3 Feb. 2016.

"Underage Drinking." Gale Student Resources in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2012. Student
Resources in Context. Web. 4 Feb. 2016.

Wulffson, Robin L., MD. "Alcohol's Effects On The Body." Salem Press Encyclopedia Of
Health (2015).: Research Starters. Web. 3 Feb. 2016.