Myths about Teens and Alcohol
Many of the myths about alcohol use haven’t changed much since I was walking the halls of high school. And believe me, that was many years ago. How these myths got started is anyone’s guess, but unfortunately, teenagers, who are already sure they know more than their parents, hold onto these myths like they are gospel.
Below we’ll explore 12 of those myths about alcohol and teenage alcohol use and try to shed some light on the validity of those myths.
Myth#1 – As long as you have a big meal right before you party, you can drink alcohol without it affecting you.
Truth – While eating a full meal can slow down the absorption of alcohol in the bloodstream, the amount of alcohol consumed over a certain period of time and the size of the person will have the most effect on how alcohol affects the blood.
Myth#2 – Sticking to one kind of alcohol will keep you from getting drunk more than switching from beer to wine or hard liquor.
Truth – It’s the amount of alcohol in the drink that gets you drunk, not switching types of alcoholic beverages. After all, alcohol in any beverage is still alcohol.
Myth#3 – Only adults become alcoholics because you have to drink for a long time before your body is affected.
Truth – Teenagers are just as susceptible to becoming alcoholics as adults, maybe more so because their bodies are still developing. Studies show that the earlier you start drinking, the higher the chance that you’ll eventually become an alcoholic.
Myth#4 – Alcohol wakes you up, gives you energy so you can party all night.
Truth – Actually, alcohol is a depressant that will bring you down. Initially, you might feel a rush from the sugar in the alcoholic drink; however, it will soon be followed with a downward fall. Speech, thinking and motor skills are slowed down under the influence of even small amounts of alcohol. When a person drinks too much, their sleep is due to the brain shutting down from numbness of the alcohol. Drunks are harder to rouse awake than people who are not drunk.
Myth#5 - Hard liquor like whiskey and vodka will make you drunk a lot quicker than beer or wine.
Truth – As I mentioned earlier, alcohol in any form is still alcohol and will get you drunk at the same rate no matter how it is ingested.
Myth#6 - Beer can’t give you any permanent damage and is healthier to drink than hard liquor.
Truth - No matter what alcoholic beverage you drink, large quantities of it will damage your body. Teenagers who drink regularly can have damage to their hearts, liver, stomach, and other critical organs. This damage can have a lasting effect throughout the teenager’s life. Excessive drinking can also lead to disease of the pancreas which can eventually lead to diabetes.
Myth#7 - Drinking a lot of coffee or taking a cold shower will help someone who has had too much to drink become sober again.
Truth – Absolutely not. The only thing that will sober a person who is had too much to drink is time. The body needs time to metabolize the alcohol in the bloodstream. No amount of coffee or cold showers will speed that up. You’ll only create a very wet and very wide awake drunk.
Myth#8 – Drinking a lot of alcohol at once will only make you throw up and have a bad hangover the next morning. It can’t damage you forever.
Truth - Drinking alcohol in large quantities quickly can lead to alcohol poisoning which can numb the brain and sometimes lead to death in only a few hours. It may look like a person has passed out from drinking too much. But if they are left untreated, their brainstem may numb if enough alcohol has been ingested, causing a shut down of major body organs such as the brain and the heart. The amount of alcohol that can be ingested before alcohol poisoning occurs is different for everyone.
Myth#9 - Taking drugs like marijuana, cocaine and heroin is a much bigger problem than drinking alcohol.
Truth - Alcohol is the number one drug of choice in the country and is far easier for a teenager to get than marijuana, cocaine, and heroin combined. Teenagers are more likely to die from drinking alcohol than any other drug; possibly because the fear of having alcohol on hand without being arrested for possession is markedly reduced given that alcohol is legalized for adults 21 years of age and older.
Myth#10 – If my friends are drinking alcohol, it’s not my business to stop them. They have to do it on their own.
Truth – You aren’t responsible for the actions of your friends. However, if you are a true friend, you’ll try to discourage your friends from indulging in alcohol. You can also lead by example by not drinking alcohol yourself. This lessens drinking due to peer pressure.
Myth#11 - Drinking alcohol will make you appear more grown up and sexy just like the movie stars and sports figures in the advertisements.
Truth - The only the person who might think you’re grown up and sexy is you! Teenagers who drink alcohol stop thinking about the consequences of what they’re doing. They’re more likely to take unnecessary risks, engage in sexual activity that could lead to pregnancy or STDs, get behind the wheel of a car and possibly get themselves or someone else killed. There’s nothing sexy or grown-up about that.
Myth#12 - Teenagers who drink only hurt themselves so why is it a problem?
Truth – Unfortunately, teenagers who drink usually don’t do it alone. Even if they did, there is still a teenager’s family to consider. It’s hard for a parent or sibling watch the person they love abuse alcohol. Also, many traffic accidents occur that involve alcohol use by an underage drinker who does not get hurt. But that doesn’t mean the person in the other car, walking on the side of the road, or riding their bicycle doesn’t get injured or killed by that drunk driver. Most drunks don’t even realize they’ve hit someone until it is too late.
I’m sure there are more myths that have come around since I was a teen. Whether you discuss them all with your child or not is not really the issue. The important thing is to let your teenager know and understand that what they are hearing from their friends is not necessarily true and can hurt them if they don’t understand the facts.
Allow your child to sit down and read about what alcohol really does to the human body. Sometimes taking health class in school or participating in a D.A.R.E. program only works for so long before a teen forgets what they’ve learned. Remind them often!
While your teenager might not want to hear about all the dangers and lash out because you don’t “trust” them, don’t let it discourage you. Talk to them in a factual way so they don’t feel they’re being lectured. When you hear of something in the news relating to alcohol use, use that opportunity to bring up your beliefs and views with your child and ask them how they feel about what they’ve just seen on television. If you are having an alcoholic beverage, show them that an adult can drink responsibly without bingeing to have a good time.
Your actions and the way you present these myths and facts will determine how much your teenager will absorb. They need to be able to assimilate this information own; especially when you are not around to make a good choice for them.
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