KATV Channel 7 - The Spirit of Arkansas: Lifelong Effects of Binge Drinking

There's new research that takes the dangers of binge drinking to a different level.  Teens may not realize it, but when they binge drink, they change their brain forever.  Research from the University of North Carolina shows that binge-drinking teens risk damaging their brain with changes that could affect their lives as adults.  The majority of people who binge drink are adolescents.  The North Carolina study reports that adolescents who drink heavily may be more likely to have deficits in adapting to life situations as adults.  Teen drinking affects long-term structural changes in the brain's cortex, the part of the brain that allows us to predict consequences, control our impulse and refine reasoning.  Experts agree, alcohol is the most dangerous and prevalent drug for teenagers.  Experts say parents need to be extremely clear about their expectations and about the lifelong consequences of drinking alcohol.  If parents don't address the issue directly, kids may feel like they have permission to drink or do drugs.  And, if you suspect they have been drinking and you don't talk about it, they feel like that is a permission slip as well.  All teenagers need to be reminded about the lifelong consequences of drinking and they need to be reminded about the fact that underage drinking is illegal.