It may seem odd at first, lumping
alcohol and the depressant ("downer") drug group together,
but they're more alike than different, both in terms of their
drug action and the risks they pose to young people.
Like alcohol, downers reduce
activity in the brain and central nervous system, easing tension
and lowering inhibitions. Since the net result of these sedative/disinhibitory
effects is increased sociability and decreased self-consciousness
-- downers can seem compelling to young people. Examples include
such sleeping pills as Halcion® and Dalmane® and such
tranquilizers as Xanax® and Valium®.
At prescribed doses, downers
produce the same type of relaxation and social ease that alcohol
produces after one or two drinks. At higher doses, these effects
dissolve into confusion, slurred speech, extreme mood swings,
and increasing impairment of reflexes and coordination. Other
risks are also similar, and include:
- Overdose. Since depressants also slow respiration
and heart rate, very high doses can result in coma, even death.
- Drug/Alcohol interactions. Effects are multiplied when depressants
are used in combination, raising the risk of overdose. In fact,
alcohol/depressant drug combinations is one of the leading causes
of overdose and drug-related deaths in America.
- Dependence. All depressant drugs produce some degree
of physical and psychological dependence with continued use.
Even at prescribed doses, regular
use may lead to sleep disturbances and increased tension and
irritability. Personality changes, including increased hostility
and irritability, may also develop.
Although many kids (and adults,
for that matter) don't think of it that way, alcohol really is
a drug, just like other CNS depressants. Maybe that's why problem
drinking among teens has remained high even as the use of illegal
drugs has ebbed and flowed over the years.
A big reason for this centers
on society's double standards about drinking and drugs. Since
drugs are illegal, the thinking goes, they must be bad. But alcohol
is an institution. Beer ads on TV are usually cute (or seem cute,
at least, the first dozen times you see them) and form a big
part of our collective national consciousness -- or the agencies
that make them get fired, pronto.
Maybe that's why whenever a new
poll shows an uptick in drug use or a downturn in the "perceived
risks" of illegal drugs, the government cranks up a huge
campaign (ironically, often involving the same agencies that
sell beer on TV and cigarettes wherever else they can) to scare
kids away from illegal drugs. But nobody ever shows an egg in
a frying pan with the voice-over, "This is your brain on
alcohol. Any questions?"
The result? Teen drinking never
goes down.
One reason why is that booze
is fairly easy to get. Since alcohol is legal for adults, it's
never that tough for teens (or pre-teens) to get their hands
on some -- either from dad's liquor cabinet or from an older,
barely-legal friend or a friend-of-a-friend.
We don't help our kids when we
pretend that problem drinking is something other than what it
is -- drug abuse -- or model it for them.
Besides its social costs (on
families, relationships, and jobs) alcohol can cause such serious
damage to the liver, pancreas, and brain that, in a real sense,
it's one of the most dangerous drugs of all.
One of the most obvious and immediate
dangers to kids, of course, comes from drinking and driving.
Be sure to impress on your kids
never to drive while drinking and never ride with a friend who's
been drinking. Let them know they can always call you for a ride
home, should the need ever arise. You can always discuss rules
and behavior when they're home safe again.
