Don't let kids drink

Nov. 24, 2007 12:00 AM
We all know that combining drinking and driving has dangerous consequences, but until now, few of us knew that alcohol can "hardwire" our kids for other addictions.

Research also now tells us that underage alcohol consumption can disrupt physical growth, inhibit learning and memory functions, and set our kids up for failure.


On Oct. 29, Gov. Janet Napolitano and the Arizona Underage Drinking Prevention Committee launched "Draw the Line," a new public-awareness campaign to educate all parents and adults about how alcohol use hurts our kids.

Roughly 40 percent of youths who start drinking before age 15 will experience an alcoholic episode during their lifetime, vs. 7 percent of those who wait to drink until age 21. Now there's a documented reason why: The brain is still developing through the early 20s. Even moderate amounts of alcohol can cause irreversible physical changes and damage to a young person's brain - making them more susceptible to other chemical stimuli (drugs) and cognitive trouble.

Alcohol disrupts the brain's pleasure-reward system by stimulating unusual amounts of dopamine, creating feelings of pleasure from a chemical instead of from natural experiences. The teen brain already produces an abundance of dopamine (compared with an adult brain), so when stimulated by alcohol, it can rapidly go from liking, to craving, to needing alcohol. This programs it for alcoholism, according to a 1997 article in the Journal of Substance Abuse. It also damages the impulse-control and good-judgment areas of the brain, and harms learning and memory areas.

Collectively, this can cause young people to: develop social problems, have poor judgment, get into trouble, perform poorly in school and fail to achieve life-long goals, according to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and other social surveys.

Inevitably, when one discusses underage alcohol use, a debate about the legal drinking age arises. The most important thing to remember is that through age 21, the brain is still developing, and alcohol use causes permanent damage. For those of us who are social scientists, behavioral counselors, or public health administrators, this research indicates that clearly the legal drinking age is anything but an arbitrary number.

The drinking age is, in part, set at 21 because by this age the brain and body are more fully developed. Earlier alcohol use can hijack too many of the body's important systems and organs. Waiting to drink until age 21 also can reduce the risk of alcoholism and can prevent the likelihood of other addictions later in life.

It's time that we adults educate ourselves and our children about this subject and stop foolishly believing that kids are safe if they are drinking in our homes and not out on the street. Our concern should not be about where they drink but at what age.

It's also time to recognize that enabling underage drinking (by hosting parties, purchasing it for younger siblings or turning a blind eye to kids in our stores, bars, or neighborhoods) is harmful too. Enabling kids to drink hurts their health and is against the law. It's time to draw the line. - Lisa Shumaker, Anthem