If You’re a Teen Who Drinks, You’re a Teen Who’s Dumb
Adults just
don’t get it sometimes, right? They have no idea what it’s like to be a
teenager, trying to fit in – just trying to get through school and life. Why
should we listen to old people who don’t have a clue what we’re going
through?
I really wouldn’t blame any teen
for thinking this way. It may seem to many high school students that the adults
in their lives were always grown-ups – or that it’s been a hundred years since
they were teens, so how could they possibly know what teenagers are
experiencing now? If this is you, you’re absolutely right that things have
changed since your parents and teachers were your age. Social media. Cell
phones. The Internet.
Some things haven’t changed, though
– the effects of alcohol being a BIG one. Well, even that’s changed somewhat –
in that the definition of legally drunk used to be between 0.1 BAC (blood
alcohol content) and .015. Now, it’s down to 0.08 in every jurisdiction in the
country, and in some places it’s even lower than that – meaning it takes a lot
fewer drinks to be legally drunk.
Oh, no –
not another lecture on the dangers of teen drinking! I can hear
the whining from here. Here’s the thing. I’ve met thousands of teens and
students across the country – but I haven’t met all of you yet. I want to meet you, though – and my chance to meet you in
person seriously decreases if you drink before you’re 21 – especially if you
drink and drive, or get in a car with a driver who’s been drinking.
Here are my very own Top 10 reasons
why I hope you’ll wait till you’re of legal age to drink – and keep it under
control when you do.
10. It’s far too easy to lose control and do
something stupid – or illegal. An adult friend of mine recently told me she’s
never been drunk. “I didn’t do it to avoid peer pressure,” she said. “I did it
because I didn’t want to lose control.” Losing control means you no longer make
good decisions. Just think about the bad decisions you’ve made when you weren’t
drunk … do you really want to go there?
9. Your
smart friends think you look like a bonehead. Another thing my friend
told me about why she never drank in high school was, “I watched the smartest
people I knew turn into total idiots, and I didn’t want that to happen to me.”
Yep – your friends notice, even if they don’t say anything. If you’re a student
leader, it’s probably best to avoid looking like a jerk at your friend’s party
because you got drunk.
8. Every
drink kills some of your brain cells – and once they’re gone, they’re gone,
never to grow back. It’s true – you might be a smartypants now, but keep
drinking and you won’t be for long. You’re at the start of your life, perhaps
just getting ready to head off to college. Why not wait till you’ve lived a
little before you start killing off those precious brain cells?
7. You may
have no memory of what you did. Blackouts among teen drinkers are
much more common than in adults – simply because you’re not invincible, and
your body just can’t handle giant quantities of liquor. There’s one sure way to
avoid needing to have your friends fill you in on your drunken exploits over
the weekend because you just don’t remember them: don’t get drunk in the first
place.
6. Puking
at a party is a bad way to enhance your reputation. Google is
littered with stories of teens bragging that they only get buzzed after 6 or 7
drinks. Really? Although the amount of alcohol it takes to get drunk varies
based on your body weight, gender, and
metabolism, no one – and I mean NO ONE – looks cool after getting drunk enough
to get sick, fall down, or pass out. And then you’ve got to see these people at
school on Monday...
5. Colleges
and employers won’t be very understanding about those drunk pictures your best
friend took. Sure, you were just kidding around when you peed in the
school fountain, got that crazy tattoo, TP’d the neighbor’s house, or worse …
but our online pasts can catch up with us at really inconvenient times, like
when we’re applying to great colleges or interviewing for the jobs of our
dreams. Is drinking now really worth screwing up your future?
4. Drunk
texting (or dialing) can cause problems once you sober up. We’ve all
heard about calling the ex in the middle of the night – but what about texting
to get the last word in an argument or sexting when we’d never do that if we
were sober? I think I already said this: drinking causes normally smart people
to do dumb things – things they may regret later. Are you smart? Don’t you want
to stay that way?
3. You
could go to jail. Yep, underage drinking is ILLEGAL. I hope you have
better reasons for not doing it, but a reminder about staying out of jail and
not having to explain it to your parents may be all the motivation some need.
2. You
could die – or kill someone you love. No – I’m not Dr. Doom-and-Gloom.
I’m just an adult who wants you to stay alive so you can go to college, fall in
love, have kids, and live a great, long life. Whether you die or you take
someone else’s life because you were drinking, your life is over. Please don’t
ever get behind the wheel when you’ve had too much to drink. Find a designated
driver, call a cab, or crash at your friend’s house instead.
1. You can
have a great time without getting drunk. Problem drinkers think they have
to drink in order to relax, enjoy a party, or just be themselves. You may know a
problem drinker, but you probably aren’t one, which means you can have a great
time without leaning on booze or beer. Don’t think it’s possible? Parties are
about hanging out with your friends … laughing, sharing, connecting. Hold a
no-beer party and find out if it isn’t MORE fun than watching everybody get
stupid.
If you or someone you know has a
problem with alcohol, my first advice is to turn to a trusted adult. If that’s
not possible, here’s a website with some resources that can help: http://www.samhsa.gov/underagedrinking
I value you – and I hope you value
yourself and your friends too much to start drinking before you’re ready for
it. Tell me your stories so I can share them with others.
_________________
ALBERT MENSAH is a champion of opportunity and achieving
one’s dreams. Rising from humble beginnings in Ghana, Africa, Albert has become
one of the world’s leading student motivational speakers, regularly presenting
to groups such as FCCLA, FFA, FBLA, DECA, 4-H, and numerous school assemblies
and student council groups. Visit his
website to book him to speak at your student assembly, career day,
or state or national teachers’ conference.
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