Tasteless Alcohol

It is considered fashionable to consume liquor at parties. Youngsters fall in the trap and struggle throughout their lives to come out of it

Alcohol is fast becoming part and parcel of the lifestyle of youngsters in urban parts of the country. Partying and reveling has become synonymous with consumption of liquor. Although the law says that anyone below 25 years of age cannot buy or consume alcohol, it is a fact that this rule is rarely followed. All one needs is money in the pocket and alcohol is available at doorsteps. Teenagers and youngsters in their twenties are usually blind to the ways in which alcohol damages their body and mind. Also, they become nuisance for others and even risk their own lives by driving drunk and indulging in other mindless activities.

Here are certain effects of alcohol that you must know before you say Cheers!

• On your brain: Loss of coordination, poor judgment, poor reflexes, distorted vision, memory lapses and even blackouts.
• On your body: Absorbed directly into your bloodstream, liquor can increase your risk for a variety of life-threatening diseases, including cancer.
• On self-control: Driving in an inebriated state can risk your life; the risk of unprotected sex is also high when you are drunk.

People also tend to think of their addiction as merely a stubborn habit and refuse to scratch the surface. More often than not, alcoholism or substance abuse is symptomatic of a larger mental or emotional knot in life.

Ask yourself if you are:

• A victim of peer pressure?  Most often drinking in youngsters (often accompanied by smoking) is a direct result of peer pressure as it is projected to be cool and glamorous. Often young boys and girls would drink to ‘fit in’ or ‘set trends’ in their class or peer group. This is how it all starts.
• Depressed? The second most common cause of drinking at a young age is larger mental and emotional problems. Family problems, monetary problems, competition in class could all cause deep seated reactions to which alcohol seems to be an easy solution.
• Feeling insulted or judged by people close to you? Social malfunction could also be another problem. Rejection by any member of society or family member could create a sense of estrangement and alienation leading to dependence on alcohol.
• Feeling it’s the right thing to do just because your parents do it? At times, though not always, drinking habits of parents may also influence a teenager’s habits and preferences. Sometimes indiscipline and laxity on part of parents leads to unhealthy life choices by youngsters.

It must be remembered that excess of anything is harmful. If consumed occasionally and in limited quantities, the damages caused by alcohol could be limited. But any kind of addiction to alcohol leads to serious health problems and emotional issues. Alcohol can neither be a medicine to fight off depression nor can it make you happy. All that alcohol does is intoxicate.