Alcohol

Alcohol companies have tapped into a growing market to introduce underage drinkers to their products, on the basis that kids who acquire a taste for alcoholic drinks early are more likely to get hooked. While it is still illegal for teens to purchase them, “alcopops,” are flavored beer and vodka drinks that contain caffeine, juices, and other flavors. These drinks often sport names like Moonshot, JungleJoose, and Bacardi Breezer Watermelon, to fool you into believing they are harmless flavored drinks.

But Drinker Beware…

Alcopops may contain 4-7% alcohol or more, higher than the average can of beer containing a little over 3% alcohol content. Alcohol is a depressant, and so can make you tired and slow your brain and reaction time. That affects your ability to make decisions and to act or think properly—it also makes you thirsty, so you keep drinking. Now throw in a strong jolt of caffeine, such as you find in typical energy drinks. While the alcohol in alcopops tends to make you sleepy, the caffeine in them keeps you feeling “up.” Sugar, the major ingredient in many juice drinks and flavorings, also stimulates your brain to give you a short-term energy surge. Now confused from the caffeine, alcohol, and sugar mix, your brain gets tricked in sometimes lethal ways because these drinks don’t taste like alcohol and make you feel less intoxicated than alcohol alone. This leaves you even less aware of how much you’ve consumed and more likely to binge drink.

What’s the Big Deal?

The big deal here is that combining a depressant (alcohol) with stimulants (caffeine and sugar) sends mixed signals to your brain, which can have long-term consequences. So digest the facts before you pop a top: drinking alcohol—including alcopops—can be quite dangerous.

In the past 5 years, Danny McCoy has told this story to thousands of teens: When he was 19 years old, he drove home from a fraternity party after a night of drinking. He fell asleep for only a few seconds. In those moments, he hit a utility pole, killing his 17-year-old passenger, Alexandra Everhart.

Danny feels the horror and guilt born of that night every day of his life. In a newspaper interview after one high school assembly, McCoy says, "I'm telling you all, you do not want to put that much pain and destruction in this world."

Unfortunately, this story is all too common. Teens who’ve been partying late, whose judgment has been impaired by drugs or alcohol, or who are just plain tired, decide to take the wheel. Every year, about 3,500 American teens die in car crashes, and 22% of drivers aged 15 to 20 involved in fatal crashes were drinking. Beyond those lives lost, countless more—those of their parents, siblings, and friends—are devastated as a result.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month. It’s also the month for high school proms, college admissions, and spring fever—all of which might make you and your friends eager to celebrate. However, teens are especially vulnerable to the effects of alcohol because their brains and bodies are still developing.

Danny McCoy can never bring Alexandra Everhart back. All he can do is tell his story and hope that it causes at least one person to make the responsible decision not to drive impaired.

Check out these four tips to avoid drinking and driving. Do you have other strategies? Tell us in comments.

Have you ever wondered why you have to be 16 to get your driver’s license or 18 to vote or 21 to legally drink alcohol?

It’s partly because your brain is not ready to take on these responsibilities, since your brain is not fully developed when you’re a teen.

During the teen years, essential parts of the brain are still forming—like the prefrontal cortex, which allows people to weigh the pros and cons of situations instead of acting on impulse. This is one reason why teens are generally more likely to take risks than adults.

For example, with alcohol, teens may be less able to judge when to stop drinking. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tells us that each year, more than 4,600 alcohol-related deaths occur among those less than 21 years old—that is way too many.

Research shows that alcohol and other drugs change the brain’s structure and how it works in the short and long term. In the short term, drugs affect your brain’s judgment and decision-making abilities, while long-term use causes brain changes that can set people up for addiction and other problems. The brains of people who become addicted get altered so that drugs are now their top priority—and they will compulsively seek and use drugs even though doing so brings devastating consequences for their lives and for those who care about them.

Do yourself a favor and use your brain to make smart choices, reach your goals, and achieve your full potential in life.

Have you ever felt like you couldn’t make good decisions because none of your friends agreed? Well, you’re definitely not alone. Take a look at these teens who wanted to be healthier and took a stand on teen alcohol and drug use by joining the Illinois Drug Education Alliance (IDEA)—no matter what their friends thought.

Even on Halloween, this group of teens ditched the typical party scene and got creative. They went trick-or-treating, but with a twist. Instead of asking for candy, they gave out brain-shaped stress balls and educated people on the harmful effects alcohol has on the teen brain.

“We all experience peer pressure, but not all peer pressure has to be negative. IDEA gives me a circle of friends who share my choice for a healthy lifestyle. Together, we encourage our peers to make smarter choices.”

—IDEA Youth Board member

Student members of the IDEA team, known as the Youth Board, work together to positively influence healthy decision-making in their schools and in their communities. They want every teen to understand that underage drinking isn’t the norm and that not everyone is doing it.

The Sara Bellum Blog had the opportunity to interview a few members of the IDEA Youth Board to get the 411 on their activities. You might be inspired by these ordinary teens who use their time in extraordinary ways.

Sara Bellum Blog (SBB): When was the Youth Board formed and why?

IDEA Youth Board (YB): IDEA was created in 1982 by a group of parents who quickly realized that the best way to reach teens is through other teens. At first, the board consisted of sons and daughters of IDEA members, but it quickly grew to include youth from all over Illinois who share a passion for the cause.

SBB: Who makes up the Youth Board and what led them to join?

IDEA YB: Most youth members are in high school, but some are in middle school. At our largest, we had 70 kids on the board! Usually we have between 20 and 30 members every year.

SBB: What are some of the main reasons youth join and stay on the board?

IDEA YB: Some of us get involved through the county; others through schools and friends. Many are leaders in their schools and communities. But we all share a common belief in what we do. That’s why we have an Alumni Board. Some youth love it so much that they can’t leave IDEA. They love to help us out however they can, even though they’re in college and busy with work. Everyone at IDEA is very active and involved in our activities.

SBB: What advice can you offer to teens who feel alone when trying to make healthy lifestyle choices?

IDEA YB: We tell them that there are other groups of people and friends who are happy without turning to drugs or alcohol. That’s who you want to hang out with.

SBB: How involved is the Youth Board in IDEA’s events?

IDEA YB: Teens are a crucial part. We get together for regular meetings and brainstorm ideas. We are there throughout the entire process, from development to implementation. We love to see our ideas unfold into programs.

SBB: How can teens in other states get involved?

IDEA YB: We would love to work with youth and organizations in other states. Anyone can visit the Web site, see what we’re doing, and fill out an application to join. Soon, we’ll have toolkits available that anyone can use! We’re always looking for youth who want to actively help and are passionate about the cause.

So, that’s the scoop on the Illinois Drug Education Alliance. Check out their Web site!

Did you know that alcohol is the most commonly used drug by youth—more than all illegal drugs combined? AND that teen alcohol use kills more than 5,000 people each year?

You have the power to change that! MADD created the Power of You(th) program to empower teens like you to influence your peers and younger kids not to drink before age 21, and never to get in the car with someone who’s been drinking. Use your power to take a stand against underage drinking.

The Power of You(th) is about teens making a difference in their communities by sharing how underage drinking is especially risky. There are a lot of ways to get involved:

1. Participate in the Power of You(th) Video Contest.* Each year, MADD holds a video contest and asks teens to create a 1-minute or less video telling the story of why underage drinking isn’t cool. This year’s winner got an iPad 2!

Check out the winning video, created by 17-year-old Jason Girouard from Brimfield, Massachusetts:

Be on the lookout in fall 2013 for the next Power of You(th) video contest!

2. Download The 411 on Teen Drinking booklet. Learn about underage drinking by downloading The 411 on Teen Drinking, created by MADD and National Presenting Sponsor State Farm. The free booklet tells you how alcohol affects teen brains differently than it does adult brains and how to talk to your parents about alcohol.

3. Pledge to stand up against underage drinking. The Power of You(th) pledge is a promise not to drink under age 21 or ride in a car with someone who’s been drinking.

* NIDA is not a sponsor of the MADD Power of You(th) contest, nor is it associated with MADD Power of You(th).

Jan Withers joined MADD in 1992, after her 15-year-old daughter, Alisa Joy, was killed by an underage drinker who chose to drive after consuming numerous alcoholic beverages. Ms. Withers first volunteered by sharing her story and lobbying for tougher legislation—she wanted to make a difference by helping to stop this 100-percent preventable violent crime. Now as MADD’s National President, she speaks to lawmakers across the country about the importance of legislation requiring ignition interlocks (or “in-car breathalyzers”) for all drunk-driving offenders, a key part of MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving. Ms. Withers continues to raise awareness for MADD’s victim support services—even leading a monthly support group—while also expanding the reach of MADD’s underage drinking prevention programs.

In October 2011, the coroner who conducted Amy Winehouse’s autopsy declared that the Grammy-winning singer “died by misadventure.” Translation: Amy died of accidental alcohol poisoning. Amy famously battled an addiction to drugs and alcohol, and had returned to rehab only months before her death. She gave up drugs after receiving treatment in 2008 but had trouble staying away from alcohol—in fact, Amy had just resumed drinking a few days before her death after 3 weeks of abstinence from it. Sadly, she drank a lethal amount of alcohol—nearly five times the British drunk-driving limit. What Is Alcohol Poisoning? Alcohol poisoning is when a person has extremely high levels of toxic alcohol in his or her system. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the liver converts toxic alcohol—from beer, wine, or hard liquor—to nontoxic energy at a rate of approximately one drink per hour, depending on factors like gender, size, age, medical conditions (e.g., heart disease), and whether other drugs were used in addition to alcohol. Rapid consumption of a lot of alcohol can overload the liver’s ability to keep up, causing the blood alcohol concentration to rise rapidly. High blood alcohol concentration can lead to slurred speech and lack of muscle coordination. It also “numbs” the part of the brain that controls the heart and lungs, which can lead to coma or death. How Many People Die From Accidental Alcohol Poisoning? It’s actually pretty rare to die from alcohol poisoning alone—about one in a million people. What’s more common is for people to die from combining alcohol and other drugs, which can lead to dangerous medical issues, suicide or self-injury, accidental drowning, or car accidents. Usually when we say someone is “one in a million,” it means that they’re special and talented in a way most people dream of. Amy Winehouse was certainly special and talented for writing and performing her music. Unfortunately, at age 27, Amy Winehouse was also an unlucky “one in a million.” Rest in peace, Amy.

Everyone knows that many of the fans of football’s biggest game are there for the commercials. Companies selling all types of goods—from cars to snack foods to insurance—pay top dollar (more than $2 million for 30 seconds in 2011) to spread the word about their products.

Alcohol companies are part of this media frenzy, and their messages reach all members of the TV audience—from adults to teens to young children.

Even adults have a hard time separating the myths of marketing from the truth, so see if you can figure out how the company is trying to make you want what they’re selling. Below are several real-life examples to test your skills.

2011 Super Bowl Alcohol Ads

During the Green Bay Packers’ win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the audience saw five alcohol ads. Here are four:

The Ad: A woman and man have won a home makeover and the only change made was to put a bucket of Bud Light on the kitchen counter. The “host” of the home makeover show states that they gave the room “a fun vibe” and “clearly this is the room people want to hang out in.”

The Message: This one’s pretty obvious. Alcohol = fun = partying with more friends.

The Ad: A friend dog-sits for someone and is invited to drink the Bud Light in the freezer. Cut to a party scene with lots of attractive people being served by dogs, who have gone up on two legs to become waiters and bartenders.

The Message: This ad uses humor as its main vehicle. The dogs are funny to watch, and while the scene is absurd—obviously a dog could never serve someone a beer—the implication is that alcohol is a fun, light-hearted, even “fantastical” treat.

The Ad: Movie star Adrien Brody serenades a roomful of women with a romantic tune—only for the ladies to find out that he’s actually singing to a glass of beer.

The Message: Alcohol is romantic. This ad may appeal to women and teen girls more than men, as the ladies in the room clearly swoon for the singer.

The Ad: It’s the Wild, Wild West, and a villainous cowboy enters a saloon and threateningly asks the bartender for a “Bud.” Upon hearing the bar is out of that particular drink, the cowboy fingers his holstered gun until a deliveryman—who arrives in a wagon pulled by the ever-popular Budweiser Clydesdales—enters with an icy case of Budweiser. The scary cowboy starts to sing and soon the whole bar is harmoniously singing along.

The Message: Lack of alcohol is a serious mistake, a critical missing piece. And once alcohol is produced, all hostility melts away—implying that alcohol is a cure for problems and that it brings people together.

To cut to the truth about alcohol, check out The Cool Spot, a Web site for teens from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

So you’re watching American Idol and you notice that the judges are all drinking from Coke cups. It’s pretty obvious that Coca Cola paid for that not-so-subtle endorsement. Well, that is called “product placement,” and it’s everywhere---it’s also nothing new… Some people who’ve studied this believe that the first product placement in America happened in 1909, when the tobacco industry advertised on baseball cards. More than 100 years later, the tobacco and alcohol industries are sneaking their products into music and movies to influence people to buy them. Unfortunately, it seems to work: research shows, for example, that teens who see a lot of smoking in movies are more likely to start smoking themselves—good business for tobacco companies, since they can make more money when smokers start young. Check out NIDA’s Drugs: Shatter The Myths brochure, which mentions a study showing that of the top 90 movies released within the past two decades, 70 percent showed characters smoking, and 33 percent showed people getting drunk. The study also looked at music and found that 33 percent of songs have some mention of drug, alcohol, or tobacco use (75 percent of rap songs). Here’s a different idea: think for yourself and make healthy choices about what to put in your body.

A recent episode of the hit TV show “Glee” focused on the problem of underage drinking. Called “Blame It on the Alcohol,” the episode depicted glee club members narrowly avoiding school suspension for drinking on school grounds—never a smart idea! Not only is it illegal to drink before age 21, but drinking too much alcohol can impair brain function and motor skills and lead to addiction. Mixing alcohol with illicit or other drugs—even legal ones—greatly increases the dangers: Combining alcohol with another central nervous system depressant like Xanax or painkillers like Vicodin can slow your heartbeat and breathing and may lead to death. Mixing alcohol with stimulants like Adderall or club drugs like Ecstasy can cause heart problems, too, as well as strokes and convulsions. Cough and cold medicines that don’t need a prescription can mess you up if you abuse them or combine them with alcohol—once again, heart problems and trouble breathing. Play it safe and don’t mix alcohol with other drugs.

I'm sure you've heard that abusing alcohol hurts your health. But how many years of drinking do you think it takes to visibly affect your brain? Ten years? Twenty?

It turns out that it doesn't take that long at all—in fact, scientists can already see changes in the brains of teenagers who drink.

In a new research study, Professor Susan Tapert of the University of California at San Diego used an imaging machine called an MRI to scan the brains of teens who binge drink—defined as drinking 4 or 5 (or more) drinks in a couple of hours. Dr. Tapert found that the "white matter" in their brains—the part that transmits signals, like a television cable or a computer USB cord—was abnormal when compared with the white matter of teens who don't binge drink. Transmitting signals is a big part of what the brain does, so affecting the white matter in this way could also affect thinking, learning, and memory.

The really scary part is that these teens weren't alcoholics, and they didn't drink every day. All they did (to be considered "binge drinkers") was drink at least four (for women) or five (for men) drinks in one sitting, at least one time during the previous three months.

How could it be possible for just a few sessions of heavy drinking to affect the white matter of the brain? Well, science has shown that alcohol can poison brain cells and can alter the brain's white matter in adult alcoholics. Dr. Tapert thinks that teenagers' brains are even more susceptible this way. She says, "because the brain is still developing during adolescence, there has been concern that it may be more vulnerable to high doses of alcohol."

Many questions still remain, including how long it takes before these changes occur, and how much they affect the function of the brain. To figure this out, scientists would have to look at the binge drinkers' brains before and after they started drinking. That way, they can tell if the differences might have already been there before the teens started drinking. It's possible that having abnormal white matter in the brain somehow increases the chance of being a binge drinker. In order to answer that question, Dr. Tapert says they need to do longer studies that follow teens' brain growth over time.

The bottom line? If you're a teen, drinking to the point of getting drunk could damage the white matter of your brain—even if you do it only once in a while.

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Find out more through the following resources:

• SAMHSA Fact Sheet on Binge Drinking
• NIH Fact Sheet on Underage Drinking (PDF, 305 KB)
• USCD News Release: Binge Drinking May Hamper Information Relay System in Teen Brain
• Dr. Tapert's Study: Altered White Matter Integrity in Adolescent Binge Drinkers
• NIAAA's Rethinking Drinking Web page

For many Americans, celebrating the Fourth of July includes fireworks, parades, sparklers, and backyard picnics. Alongside the hotdogs and potato salad, though, usually sit bottles of beer.

Alcohol is often a part of our cultural celebrations. When someone gets married, we toast the happy couple with champagne. Many people binge drink on St. Patrick’s Day or Cinco de Mayo. Wherever someone is celebrating, chances are, alcohol is there.

Statistics PDF [138.44 KB] show that the Fourth of July is no exception. Teens and adults alike can end up in unhealthy situations from celebrating with alcohol. During the holiday weekend of July 3–5, 2009, an average of 942 ER visits occurred per day related to alcohol use by people under age 21—two-thirds by young men, which is double the usual number for this group.

The Risks

When people see others around them drinking alcohol, it can seem like alcohol is harmless. NIDA’s Monitoring the Future study shows that in general, most 12th graders don’t see binge drinking on weekends PDF [1.64 MB] as being very risky. The study also shows that such thinking makes drinking alcohol more likely.

In fact, alcohol is illegal for teens and can alter the developing brain. Further, drinking heavily can lower inhibitions and open the door to taking more risks—such as driving or riding with someone when you really shouldn’t be.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Fourth of July holiday period (July 2–6) is particularly deadly. During the 2010 holiday, 392 people were killed in car crashes, 39% involving a driver with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher, which qualifies as a DUI offense.

This Fourth of July, set the example for your friends: Opt for a cold lemonade, and stay safe.

Want More?

Check out these resources about alcohol and underage drinking:

• Too Smart To Start
• The Cool Spot
• An SBB post about how to avoid drinking, drugs, and driving

When you ask friends what they’re going to do for homecoming or the prom or graduation, spending the night in the local emergency room probably isn’t on their list. Unfortunately, for many young people, alcohol may change their plans. According to a study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), emergency rooms get 546 underage drinking-related emergency room visits every day—many more on special celebration days. Emergency room visits can cost $1000 or more—not including the cost of an ambulance or a hospital stay if you have to be admitted to the hospital. If a drinker in the ER is under 18, the hospital has to call their parents or guardians. To make matters worse, minors can also get into legal trouble since underage drinking is against the law. Not to pile on, BUT people who drink before their 21^st birthday are more likely to use drugs, get bad grades, become a victim of a violent or sexual crime, and get addicted to alcohol. In fact, More than 4 in 10 people who begin drinking before age 15 eventually become alcoholic. Better to celebrate special events in a way you’ll be glad to remember the next morning!

As a public health analyst at NIDA, one of my jobs is to look at data and help get information out to the public. When I heard that about 1 in 10 high school seniors had used the pain medicine Vicodin last year without a prescription, I knew there was a problem. Many people, and not just teens, think that because doctors are the ones who typically prescribe these drugs, they are safe for anyone to use. That’s not true.

So, why would someone take a prescription drug that wasn’t theirs? Research shows there are many reasons.

While a number of young people take prescription drugs to get high, many teens, especially girls, take them to help them concentrate when studying or to deal with physical pain. Even this type of use is considered “abuse” and is illegal since the drug was not prescribed for that person.

Not only is it illegal but it might end up affecting your health. Even if you follow the directions on the label, those instructions were written for someone else. For example, different body weights require different dosages for many medicines.

You might be saying, “Well, my friend took a prescription drug that wasn’t hers and she was ok.   What’s the big deal?” Maybe for your friend, or even you, it was fine that time-but that may not be the case the next time. Some people aren’t so lucky (like Heath Ledger). Different drugs have different effects. For example, abusing stimulants could cause your blood pressure to become dangerously high or lead to an irregular heartbeat. Or if opioids are taken with alcohol or antihistamines, they can cause you to stop breathing.

Writing this reminded me of a story I heard about an acquaintance who decided to try OxyContin at a party. She had been drinking when she took the pill and didn’t know that OxyContin mixed with alcohol can have some pretty nasty effects. She became disoriented, got separated from her friends, and passed out. Fortunately, her friends found her and she recovered.  She decided never again to take that kind of risk, but it’s too bad she had to go through such a scary ordeal before making that choice.

When you’re faced with the option to use a prescription drug that’s not yours, pause and ask yourself… Is this something I really want to add to the mix? Do I want to take the chance of putting myself and my friends through what could happen? If you’re reading this, you’ve shown that you care about yourself and your future.   Show you care the next time you face a tough choice about whether or not to pop a pill that’s not yours.

Bio: Anna is a public health analyst with NIDA. She spends a lot of time looking at numbers and answering questions about drug abuse statistics. When she’s not doing that she’s usually at the gym, finding new restaurants, or spending time with her family.

If you’re taking any medications—either those prescribed by a doctor or over-the-counter cold and allergy medicine—it’s not a good idea to drink alcohol. Often, the medication label will warn you not to—because of the possible dangerous side effects. Read the label! You’ll find lots of good info, like:

• The medication’s active ingredients, including ingredient amounts in each dose
• The medication’s purpose and uses
• Dosage instructions—when and how to take it
• Specific warnings about interactions (with alcohol and other drugs)
• Activities to avoid
• The medication’s inactive ingredients (important to help people avoid an allergic reaction)

Because the drug label information can be confusing, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor or pharmacist about what side effects you might experience and not to mix medications and alcohol. Here’s what can happen:

• Drinking alcohol while ibuprofen (Motrin) is in your system could cause stomach upset, stomach bleeding, and even liver damage.
• If you’re taking a sleep medication like Ambien, alcohol could cause increased drowsiness, difficulty breathing, and memory problems.
• Mixing caffeine and energy drinks with alcohol is also a bad idea since their opposite effects (alcohol is a depressant, caffeine a stimulant) can fool you into drinking more than your body can handle.

Here is a list of many common medications and what can happen if the user drinks alcohol while taking them. Some of them may surprise you.