Researchers at Duke University recently carried out a study to look at the impact of underage drinking on the body and the brain. They used rats for the study, but it’s thought that the same results could be seen in humans.
What they found was that health issues and brain abnormalities were created when young, developing brains were exposed to alcohol. This has a lot to do with the neurological development happening in the brain at that time, which is why the same results are not always seen in older adults, whose brains are fully developed.
According to those who carried out the study, drinking at this time can lead to a greater likelihood that someone will develop an alcohol abuse disorder, increased odds that he or she will suffer from cognitive dysfunction, and an increased risk for a number of other neurological impairments. This alteration in the way that the brain functions is said to be irreversible.
This is very interesting research, really showing the impact of drinking at a young age, and it is made even more important when one takes into account how many people pass away in relation to underage drinking. It is estimated that there are around 4,300 such deaths every single year among America’s youth.
Despite the fact that the legal drinking age is 21, it is also thought that people between the ages of 12 and 20 consume about 11 percent America’s alcohol each year.
If you’ve been arrested in Athens for alleged underage drinking, you should know exactly what legal options are there for you as your case moves forward.
Source: The Inquisitr, “Underage Drinking Can Lead To Adult Brain Abnormalities, Reveals New Research,” July 11, 2015