When parents and teachers warn you about the effects of drinking they usually give you some dull statistics that don’t really mean a heck of a lot to you. Why should they, they are just numbers and they don’t seem very real to you unless you know someone that was killed or injured in a drinking-related accident. BUT drinking-related accidents occur every day to teens in the United States, Canada and all over the world where teens drink.

In many states in the US, you will pay a stiff fine or even LOSE your license for driving while impaired, even if no one is injured. There are good reasons for this law. You could kill someone else or yourself if you drive under the influence of alcohol. For more on your blood alcohol level, see the blood alcohol calculator. (The link is at the bottom of the page).

Beer commercials and ads for alcohol don’t bother boring you with statistics, they make drinking look like a lot of fun and it can be, if you take a cab home or have a “designated driver”.

You have to decide for you yourself what is right for you. In order to do that, you have to know what drinking can do to you. The same is true for using any drug for recreation, and as you know alcohol is a drug. Sure, people can drink responsibly, but it’s worth thinking about.

Dumb reasons? You decide…

Drinking makes you feel together even when you are totally out of control. That’s why you’re more likely to fall or have some other kind of accident when you are drunk.

Drinking makes you feel cool when you’re really acting like a jerk. Next time your friends get together to drink, stay sober and just WATCH. Chances are you will see how silly and idiotic they look.

Drinking can make you lose your memory. It can be very embarrassing to have someone else tell you how funny you were last night, especially if you don’t remember what you did or said that was so funny.

Drinking takes away inhibitions. You may get relaxed enough to do or say things they you’ll later regret. Sometimes this can result in an unwanted pregnancy or an STD or insulting a friend.

Hangovers. If you really want to spend a day throwing up with a throbbing headache, here is your chance — get really drunk.

Drinking makes you feel “grown-up”. What is so great about this? Very often adults are drinking to forget that they are adults with all the responsibilities that they have. In other words, they are trying to feel like children again! Imitating childish adults shouldn’t make you feel like an adult.

Drinking to forget your problems. Trust us, your problems will still be there when you sober up.

Drinking to be accepting by friends. You have heard it called “peer pressure”. Friendships that are based on drinking don’t last too long. These friendships fall apart for the same reason that drinking gets boring… it is just the same thing over and over again. Those are not true friends and those relationships have nowhere to go. When you build friendships around common interests, sports, or another activity, your relationships can grow. This is a much stronger basis for friendship than sharing a six-pack.

Drinking because you’re curious about alcohol. There really is no great mystery to it. After a while drinking will lose its thrill. That’s why so many teenagers develop drinking problems. When drinking starts to lose its thrill they need more alcohol to enjoy themselves and they often lose their ability to find pleasure in other ways. Before long they have lost they chance to do well in school, lost their health, and the trust of the friends and family. (Trying to watch your calories, booze is loaded with empty calories).

End of lecture. You decide for you and drink responsibly !

One last thing to keep in mind. Teenagers are the largest source of transplant organs in the United States. That means more teens die suddenly in accidents than any other members of the population.  Why is that?  Think about it.   Drink responsibly.

Check out:

• Check out: How Do You Know if You Are an Alcoholic?
• Alcoholism, Getting Past the Addiction
• Medical Treatments for Alcoholism
• Check out the Blood Alcohol Calculator and see if you’re as sober when you think.
• What Alcohol Can Do to Your Liver.