Drinks: Why they are likely to lead teenagers even to death

By Stefanos Nikolaidis

The tragic incident with sudden death her 16 years old at Gas after night out shocked public opinion and again brought to the fore a existingbut often underestimated problem: the consumption of adulterated drinks from young people.

The question it is simplebut decisive: an adulterated drink can even lead to death;

The professor of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at the School of Medicine of the EKPA Theodora Psaltopoulou he explains speaking to skai.gr that the alcohol constitutes every year one of the most important factors of death of persons under 21 years of age. “This includes deaths from traffic accidents, homicides, alcohol overdoses, falls, burns, drownings and suicides“, he notes, underlining that the overconsumption or the fraud may occur equally dangerous. According to international data, only the 2011 about 188,000 young people under the age of 21 on USA they were needed hospitalization for injuries which were related to alcohol.

“Even Blindness”

OR excessive consumptionas he points out, confuses, blurs her crisis and often leads to risky decisions – from unsafe driving up to violent behavior or the unsafe sex. At the same time, it increases the risk of becoming someone victim or perpetrator of physical or sexual assaultas the alcohol affects them suspensions and the decision making.

“If a drink is adulterated, even a small amount can cause serious problems“, emphasizes Ms. Psaltopoulou. As she explains, fraud often includes extremely dangerous substances like the methanol or other solventswhich can cause from gastrointestinal symptoms and loss of consciousnessup to severe hepatic and kidney failure. “Even blindness, which can be permanent, while in severe cases the person risks losing his life“, he notes. In such cases, import at the hospital it is one way. “Gastric lavage is the least that can happen. Admission means that in principle the child is at risk and cannot stay at home to “get drunk”“, he characteristically adds.

OR alcohol consumptionbeyond them immediate riskscan cause serious problems and to depth of time. The young people who drink regularly are more likely to present problems at school or with the lawwhile there is clear connection between the premature alcohol consumption and the use of other substances. According to research, those who start drinking before age 15 are 3.5 times more likely to develop an alcohol use disorder in adulthoodin relation to those who start after 21.

Ms. Psaltopoulou appeals special attention and to developing brain of teenagers. “Research shows that the brain continues to develop into young adulthood, around age 20. Alcohol can alter this development, affecting brain structure and function, resulting in cognitive or learning problems, but also increased vulnerability to addiction“, he emphasizes. “The teenagers that they consume large amounts of alcohol may present clouding of consciousnessto engage in traffic accidents or turn to other prohibited substances”.

“The issue is not limited to individual responsibility”

All this, according to the professor, highlights her need to update and awarenessinitially within the family. “Parents need to talk to their children, inform and warn them about the dangers of not only alcohol, but also smoking and the internet. Prevention is the key”.

She emphasizes that the issue is not limited to individual responsibility. “The State must intensify checks on shops and warehouses dealing in liquor. Counterfeiting is real and very dangerous, especially when it involves young people who don’t know how much they are at risk».

“Alcohol is not innocent“, concludes Ms. Psaltopoulou. “Even small amounts, if adulterated, can be fatal. Society needs to stop treating drinking as a harmless form of entertainment, especially when it involves minors. Responsible consumption, proper information and strict surveillance are the only effective countermeasures».