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Underage Drinking Health Risks

Whatever it is that leads adolescents to begin drinking, once they start, they face a number of potential health risks. Although the severe health problems associated with harmful alcohol use are not as common in adolescents as they are in adults, studies show that young people who drink heavily may put themselves at risk for a range of potential health problems.

Brain Effects

Scientists currently are examining just how alcohol affects the developing brain, but it's a difficult task. Subtle changes in the brain may be difficult to detect but still have a significant impact on long-term thinking and memory skills. Add to this the fact that adolescent brains are still maturing, and the study of alcohol's effects becomes even more complex.

Research has shown that animals fed alcohol during this critical developmental stage continue to show long-lasting impairment from alcohol as they age ¹. It's simply not known how alcohol will affect the long-term memory and learning skills of people who began drinking heavily as adolescents.

Liver Effects

Elevated liver enzymes, indicating some degree of liver damage, have been found in some adolescents who drink alcohol ². Young drinkers who are overweight or obese showed elevated liver enzymes even with only moderate levels of drinking ³.

Growth and Endocrine Effects

In both males and females, puberty is a period associated with marked hormonal changes, including increases in the sex hormones, estrogen and testosterone. These hormones, in turn, increase production of other hormones and growth factors ⁴, which are vital for normal organ development.

Drinking alcohol during this period of rapid growth and development (i.e., prior to or during puberty) may upset the critical hormonal balance necessary for normal development of organs, muscles, and bones. Studies in animals also show that consuming alcohol during puberty adversely affects the maturation of the reproductive system ⁵.