Drinking

The average American begins drinking at 15 years old, despite the fact that the legal drinking age in the United States is 21 years old. Underage alcohol use is more likely to kill young people than all illicit drugs combined. I believe that raising the drinking age to 25 years old can save many young lives.

Affects of Adolescent Drinking

Adolescent drinking affects a child’s mind, body and future.

Adolescence is the between childhood and adulthood. During this time alcohol use may interrupt brain development. Hippocampus, the part of the brain important forfvb fg learning and memory has been proven to be smaller in people that have started drinking in a young age. In a recent study where short-term memory skills in alcohol dependent and non-dependent teenagers were studied the conclusion was that alcohol dependent teens had a harder time remembering words and simple math equations. Judgment and self-control are reduced, speech may be slurred; balance, vision, reaction time and hearing will be impaired. Alcoholism also causes damage to the brain. Alcoholics may suffer from lack of concentration. The alcoholic may also have "blackouts,"