Alcohol in adolescence

The consequences of alcohol should not be underestimated, especially in adolescence. This is due to the fact that the body and especially the brain are still developing in adolescence and can be influenced more easily by external factors. Long-term behaviour patterns are also shaped in adolescence.

After alcohol consumption, the acute effects and consequences of alcohol, such as mood improvement and relaxation, first become apparent. But the general ability to criticize and self-assessment are negatively influenced. Direct consequences of alcohol in adolescence are therefore frequently occurring conflicts, which are often carried out violently.

The increased self-assessment leads to further dangerous behavior. For example, about 30% of traffic accidents involving adolescents aged 15-20 years are related to alcohol. Sexual assaults in adolescence are also often associated with alcohol consumption.

More serious consequences of alcohol in adolescence are nevertheless the long-term consequences. These affect both the body and psychological development. People who drink alcohol regularly and in large quantities during adolescence have a higher risk of developing psychological abnormalities.

The brain is affected, which can lead to attention, concentration and learning difficulties. School performance can suffer as a result. As the disease progresses, the risk of later developing alcohol addiction or further addictive behavior to other drugs increases.

The addiction leads to a disregard for duties and rules, which makes successful integration into professional life more difficult. The development of depression can also occur in the further course. Since alcohol is often misused in adolescence as an escape from reality, important behavioral patterns may not be learned.

This includes dealing with people, expressing feelings and solving problems strategically. In the long term, alcohol can cause not only psychological but also organic damage, especially to the liver, kidneys and nervous system. It is true that the earlier alcohol consumption is started in adolescence, the greater the damage.

All these consequences of alcohol in adolescence are possible and represent a risk. The probability of the occurrence of measurable consequences is naturally strongly related to the age of first contact and the amount of alcohol consumed. Thus, the majority of adolescents do not experience long-term consequences, even if they have consumed alcohol from time to time during adolescence.