Written by Gisela, Gabrie

1. Into Teens’ World
Alcohol: the Socially Accepted Drug
Nobody knows when exactly the disease of alcoholism starts; nevertheless it is
Volume 1, nº 1
common knowledge how it ends.
June 2010
Before becoming an alcoholic, there is Slow, because it takes a while to
a long process in which a person starts manifest, and it does not kill instanta-
drinking, generally in groups, but she neously. Progressive, because it
or he is not dependent yet, because moves forward faster and the ill per-
the process starts unconsciously. If the son become worst constantly. 75% of the inhabitants in Buenos
person looks for relaxation, pleasure Deadly, because if the ill person does Aires (without Capital Federal) start
and well-being in alcohol, and even if not stop drinking
she or he is very resistant to alcohol, completely, he or
depending on the amount that has she can end up
been drunk, alcohol poisoning starts to in a mental hos-
change the person’s mental and physi- pital, a wheel
cal functions and alcohol begins to be chair or suffer an
more and more important in the per- untimely death.
son’s life. Finally, the social drinker
By
loses control over her/his assumption
Verónica Biech
of alcohol and is unable to stop drink-
ing.
Source: René
What is alcoholism? KRÜGER, Volver
del abismo. Un
Alcoholism is not the same as exces- modelo pastoral Source: http://www.monografias.com/trabajos13/infalcoh/infalcoh.shtml
sive consumption. Alcoholism is a psy- de abordaje del
chophysical, chronic, slow, pro- alcoholismo,
Biblioteca de Psicología Pastoral de ASIT,
gressive and deadly disease. Psy- Buenos Aires, Kairós Ediciones, 2003, ISBN
chophysical, because it destroys not 987-9403-59-2, 216 p.
only the physical structure of the hu-
man body, but also the psychological
structure of the personality. Chronic, Contents:
because once the disease is settled, it
Alcohol Health Risks, 2
acts as a common and regular disease. Should I Care?
After Drinking Alcohol, Are 2
Why Should I Say No to Alcohol? You Planning to Have Sex?
Did you know that alcohol is more dangerous for young people than for adults?
How Fun Can Binge Drin- 2
king Be? Is It Violent?
When you drink alcohol, run lots of risks when you avoid unwanted and dan-
you need to be careful drink excessive alcohol, gerous situations. Does Your School Teach 3
how many units of it you such as exposure to health You about Alcohol?
By Gabriela Hernández
drink. Alcohol abuse can problems, unwanted sex
lead you into an undesired and antisocial behaviuor. Before Drinking Think It 3
situation. In addition, This is why when you go over
Source: http://www.direct.gov.uk/
drinking every day will out you should pay atten- e n / p a r e n t s / Sharing an Experience 3
probably lead you to have tion to how many units of yourchildshealthandsafety/
an alcohol problem. You alcohol you drink so as to youngpeopleandalcohol/
dg_183848 Are You a Sensible Drinker? 4

2. Page 2 Into Teens’ World
Alcohol Health Risks, Should I Care?
Drinking heavily when you are a teenager can cause damages in a not-too-distant future.
Excessive alcohol intake during ado- is a difference between how young
lescence seriously damages your women and young men absorb alco-
body. Possible results of drinking hol. It has been discovered that young
heavily include liver cirrhosis, heart women absorb alcohol faster than
disease, cancer of the mouth and young men. This is because young
throat, and sexual and mental health women contain less water in their bod-
problems. To make it worse, your ies, so the water dilutes the alcohol,
brain can also suffer the conse- producing a higher concentration of
quences of alcohol intake. alcohol in their blood. Therefore,
When you are an adolescent, your young men might drink a lot but will
brain is still developing. Research definitely have less alcohol concentra-
shows that drinking immoderately tion in their blood than young women.
during your teens can interrupt fun- When you go out and drink alcohol, try
damental processes of your brain to bear in mind all the risks that you
development, causing cognitive is- are running. So, do you care now?
sues. These issues can affect not By Gabriela Hernández
only your academic achievement, but Source:
also your work performance. Further- http://www.teendrugabuse.us/
more, another study has shown that teensandalcohol.html
alcohol-dependent adolescents have http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/parents/
yourchildshealthandsafety/
serious memory problems.
youngpeopleandalcohol/dg_183848 Source: http://alcoholhealthrisks.com/
It is also important to note that there
After Drinking Alcohol, Are You Planning to Have Sex?
If you have sex after drinking alcohol, you may run huge risks and regret it later.
When you are in your teens it is true sex, which could cause exposure
that sex can become a very important “The problem arises when you to sexually transmitted diseases or
part of your life. The problem arises drink alcohol and afterwards you an unwanted pregnancy.
when you drink alcohol and after- want to have sex.”
wards you want to have sex. To put it By Gabriela Hernández
simply, drinking alcohol makes you without alcohol in your blood. That
lose your inhibitions and you might is to say, you might end up having a Source: http://teenadvice.about.com/
end up regretting what you did. library/weekly/aa121901a.htm
sexual relationship and regret it or
If you are drunk, your capacity to you may not even remember what
decide with whom to have sex or you did the previous night. The
even if you want to have sex at all is most dangerous part is that you
very different from when you are might end up having unprotected
How Fun Can Binge Drinking Be? Is It Violent?
Drinking excessive alcohol will lead you to a violent behaviour.
As a teenager you have the excessive drinking, not only can
chance to decide if you want to go you hurt others, but also end up
for binge drinking or just drink one hurting yourself. Binge drinking
glass. After drinking a lot, you lose might seem fun, but do not get it
control of yourself and you are not wrong, binge drinking is serious
aware of what you are doing and and can make you act in a violent
you might end up being violent. way.
When drinking too much you are By Gabriela Hernández
likely to rob, commit a crime, an
Source: http://www.camberleyonthe.net/
assault, crash your car or punch images/
somebody out of the blue. After binge_drinking_camberleyonthenet.jpg

3. Volume 1, nº 1 Page 3
Does Your School Teach You about Alcohol?
Alcohol education should be part of the National Curriculum at primary and
secondary levels, like in all schools in England. This will give you the skills you
need to make safe and responsible choices about alcohol as you get older.
You probably see alcohol for sale are not just educated about alcohol
everywhere, and you might also at school, you are also offered sup-
see your parents drinking alcohol. port if you need it, either in the
This can make it difficult for you to school itself or though links with
understand that alcohol is danger- other local children’s services.
ous. The idea of alcohol education
is to teach you the facts about al- By Verónica Biech.
cohol before you have any experi-
ence with it yourself. For instance, Source: http://www.direct.gov.uk
when you enter secondary school,
you learn more about the effects
and risks of alcohol, how to resist
pressures and how to make
healthy choices. To conclude, you Verónica Biech
Before Drinking Think It over
By Verónica Biech
Sharing an Experience
We have interviewed a seventeen-year-old teenager who told us about her problems of alcohol addiction.
• What age did you first party? up in jail. I didn’t remember any- drinking.
When I was 14 years old. thing about the night before. I
was mad at my friends who I • Have you got a final reflection?
• Who or what influenced you to was drinking with for letting me I deeply regret drinking. You don’t
drink? drive, but they said they didn’t think when you drink, that is why
I mainly drink because everyone know I was that bad. They were you do so. If I had my time over
else did. like me. again, I would not drink. It can
really ruin your judgment and your
• Was there any time where • Were you allowed to drink? Did life.
something went wrong and wish you lie?
you never done it? I wasn’t supposed to drink, but I By Gisela Valdez
Once I was driving south to get did. I lied. Lying causes anxiety,
home, which was north. I woke which can lead you to more

4. Page 4 Into Teens’ World
Into Teens’ World
We are a group of Argentinean teachers of English graduated
from the Sagrado Corazon Teacher Training College. In this
newsletter we deal with teenagers issues in general.
If you would like to be part of this publication or you have
comments about the articles, you can contact us at
intoteensworld@gmail.com
Are You a Sensible Drinker?
Alcoholism is a rough word to deal with. That’s because it is an illness. questions, maybe it’s time you took a serious
look at what your drinking might be doing to you.
It doesn’t matter how long you’ve 8. Do you ever have loss of
been drinking or what you’ve been memory due to your drinking?
drinking. It’s what drinking does to
9. Do you lie about your drinking?
you that counts. To help you de-
cide whether you might have a 10.Do you ever get into trouble
problem with your own drinking, when you’re drinking?
we have twelve questions. 11.Do you get drunk when you
drink, even when you don’t
1. Do you drink because you have
mean to?
problems? To relax?
12.Do you think it’s cool to be able
2. Do you drink when you get mad
to hold your liquor?
at other people, your friends or
parents? If you can answer yes to any one
3. Do you prefer to drink alone, of these questions, maybe it’s time
rather than with others? you took a serious look at what
your drinking might be doing to Source: A.A. World Services,
4. Are you grades starting to slip?
5. Did you ever try to stop drinking you.
or drink less – and fail? By Gisela Valdez
6. Have you begun to drink in the Source: Alcoholics Anonymous
morning, before school?
7. Do you gulp your drinks?