Alcohol - Essay 8

Teen alcohol abuse is a serious and dangerous matter among teenagers. Alcohol has numerous and dangerous effects that will ultimately harm the teen abuser, the teens life and the people
person to possibly blackout, hallucinate, and experience tremors. The term "blackout" does not mean loss of consciousness, but is referred to as the "lost hour" with the intoxicated person remembering nothing the next day. The withdrawal symptoms that a severe alcoholic can experience are sometimes compared to the same withdrawals as a heroin addict, yet people still do not consider alcohol to be a drug. Drinking during pregnancy can cause serious damage to the unborn child. An unborn child of an alcoholic may develop mental or physical retardation during pregnancy. Additionally, a child who has an alcoholic parent is much more likely to become an alcoholic themselves later in life.  
Clearly, alcoholism is a serious matter that is too often overlooked.   Restaurants, sporting events, parties, and other social events all provide alcohol to just about anybody, even if a person is underage. High school and underage college students often find that obtaining alcohol is not a challenging obstacle. Simply being aware of how much an individual consumes and how often that they consume it can curb alcoholism. Drinking is a large part of most social functions and is accepted by most people, but the problems begin when alcohol is abused. The only guarantee that a person will not become an alcoholic is complete abstinence of alcohol whereas even the slightest amount of alcohol can lead to a person to alcoholism. Anytime a person takes a drink; they are taking a risk that can change the way they will live the rest of their lives. Even though it is a legal substance, alcohol can destroy a person just as easily as any illegal drug.
For many, drugs and alcohol is a pleasurable way to relax and fit in and drinking does not represent a serious threat because people typically have the mentality...