Red Solo Cup
We’ve all seen the movies where the shy guy or girl goes to a big high school party for the first time and someone hands them a red solo cup. She peers inside to see some sort of dark or clear liquid, takes a whiff, and cringes. Someone laughs, “Never drank before?” Not wanting to get made fun of, the kid replies with something like “Nah, I’ve drank. Y'all just got the cheap stuff is all.” He throws it back, trying not to let his eyes water at the burn of the alcohol down his throat.
Sounds like every other coming of age movie right? The party will get busted, the kid runs away drunk, and by the end of the movie, there is some life lesson about friendships, peer pressure, etc. Well, it’s important to discuss what’s in that red solo cup, especially for the developing brain. The brain is developing until your mid-20s so this is important to understand as a young person, but it’s also good to know for anyone who has a young person in their life, whether that be a child, nephew/niece, family friend, etc. From a biology perspective, there is a reason the legal age to buy and consume alcohol is 21.
The brain undergoes lots of development and change during the teen years. Introducing something like alcohol can lead to lasting consequences. When you drink, your hippocampus is immediately affected; however, drinking can have long-term effects too. Alcohol has the potential to damage or kill cells in the hippocampus, which helps with learning and memory. Because alcohol affects this area, people can experience “blackouts” - their hippocampus is struggling to form those memories and keep them (The effects of alcohol on the adolescent brain, 2017). Studies have shown that adolescents who drink heavily can have a smaller hippocampus than their peers. You need your hippocampus to be in the best shape possible because short-term memories are necessary for school, jobs, and other responsibilities.
Now, I’m going to be annoying to all our young people reading and talk about how teenagers can be rash or seem to lack good decision making. There is a reason for this! It’s not your fault! Your prefrontal cortex, responsible for rationality, impulsivity, and personality, is still developing. However, as many of us may realize, those who are drinking are not making the most rational decisions under the influence. Alcohol can impair prefrontal cortex development, which wouldn’t give you the best cortex for rational decision making as adults someday (The effects of alcohol on the adolescent brain, 2017).
As a young person, it’s important to understand how your decisions, like drinking alcohol, could affect you in the long run. Or, if you are close to a young person in your life, do they know the effects? Is this something you could talk to them about? We all want to see mature, intelligent, amazing, best-version-of-yourself people some day. Don’t hurt yourself with alcohol before you get there.
Reference: The effects of alcohol on the adolescent brain. (2017). Queensland Health. Retrieved from https://www.health.qld.gov.au/news-events/news/the-effects-of-alcohol-on-the-adolescent-brain.
Challenges/Points:
Alcohol can permanently damage your hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, which is especially hurtful when you’re still developing.
If you’re ever offered alcohol when you’re underage, always say no. If you’re an older person, never offer alcohol to an adolescent.
Your brain is still developing until your mid-20s - be smart about what you are consuming during this time.
Questions:
Have you ever or do you consume alcohol underage?
What was surprising to read about in this post?
What can you do to make sure your brain develops to its full capacity?
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