Alcohol and Teens: What’s the Truth?

1. Alcohol and Teens: What’s the Truth?

2. Over the next 3 classes, you are going to have an opportunity to test your knowledge about tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.

3. Turn to Alcohol: What Do You Know? on page 2. • You are going to see how much you know about alcohol. Read each statement. Put a T next to the statements you think are true and an F next to the statements you think are false. On the lines below each statement, explain your answer.

4. Now, find a partner and share your answers, including the explanation of your answer. You may change your answer after discussing it with your partner. Be prepared to share your answers with the class.

5. Statement 1 is: • True • How does drinking alcohol negatively affect the brain? • Drinking alcohol leads to a loss of coordination, poor judgment, slower reflexes, distorted vision, memory lapses and even blackouts. The use of alcohol during adolescence is linked with a decreased ability to learn.

6. Statement 2 is: • False • What is the relationship between alcohol use and risky behaviors? • Alcohol depresses the central nervous system, lowers inhibition and impairs judgment. Adolescents who use alcohol are more likely to become sexually active at a younger age, engage in unprotected sex, take dares that can lead to serious injuries, and give in to peer pressure.

7. Statement 3 is: • False • Why do many people think alcohol is a stimulant? • Many people think alcohol is a stimulant because 1 or 2 drinks can cause someone to laugh and talk louder. However, alcohol is a depressant. It slows down the part of the brain that controls a person’s judgment, reasoning and speech.

8. Statement 4 is: • True • How can alcohol kill a person? • Large amounts of alcohol can depress the central nervous system to the point that the heart and lungs quit functioning. Car crashes are the leading cause of death among people ages 15-19, and over 1/3 or all traffic deaths among 15-19 year olds are alcohol related.

9. Statement 5 is: • True • How can drinking alcohol make a person gain weight? • Alcohol contains lots of calories, but has no nutritional value. Drinking alcohol instead of water or low-calorie drinks can cause weight gain.

10. Statement 6 is: • True • Why are adolescents who drink more at risk of becoming alcoholics than adults are? • Because an adolescent’s body is still growing and developing, alcohol addictions occurs more quickly than it does for an adult.

11. Statement 7 is: • True • Why do many people think a lot of teens drink? • Many people mistakenly think that adolescents drink because the media typically reports negative news about teens and drinking. The truth is that most kids your age do not drink . Official surveys show that over 80% of people between ages 12 and 17 have not had a drink in the last month.

12. Statement 8 is: • True • What are some of the long-term risks associated with alcohol use? • Risks include increased risk of developing cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis, hemorrhagic stroke, and certain forms of cancer.

13. Statement 9 is: • False • What is the relationship between school grades and using alcohol? • High school students who use alcohol are more likely to believe that earning good grades is not important. They are also 5 times more likely than other students to drop out of school.

14. Statement 10 is: • True • What are some ways that extracurricular activities can be negatively affected by alcohol use? • Because even small amounts of alcohol can affect reaction time, muscle control, speech, balance and vision, your ability to participate in many favorite activities such as sports, music, art and speech can be negatively affected.

15. What are some activities you like to do that could be negatively affected by using alcohol?

16. Use the Alcohol: What Do You Know? Key to correct any answers that you got wrong.

17. It’s a Fact -- Alcohol • Using alcohol at an early age can hurt your body and life choices, and increase the risks you take.