Rethinking Teen Drinking

Written by Keryn O’Neill

MA, PGCertEdPsych · Brainwave Trust Knowledge Manager

Adolescence is an exciting and important time in development; there are many opportunities, but there are also some risks. One of these risks is alcohol. Drinking alcohol can impact how adolescents develop.

Having a good understanding of what we know about teen drinking can help parents, whānau, and others guide teens successfully. This article looks at the risks of teen drinking, the ways in which drinking in adolescence is different from adult drinking, and the influence parents and whānau have.

What are the harms of alcohol?

Alcohol related harms can be both short-lived and long-term.¹ Harms include an increased likelihood of:

being involved in car accidents, assaults and injuries due to intoxication²
criminal behaviour³
mental health difficulties, such as depression⁴
alcohol abuse or dependence in adulthood ⁵
early sexual activity,⁶ unwanted sex,⁷ risky sex, including having multiple partners,⁸ sexual abuse, unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections⁹
lower academic performance¹⁰
deliberate self-harm and suicide. ¹¹

Many of the worries parents and other adults have about young people are made more likely by alcohol.

What’s different about drinking in adolescence?

Whilst some teens may look like adults, alcohol affects them differently to how it affects adults. Just because they may be towering over their parents in height, doesn’t mean they’re adults just yet!

Adolescent brains are changing rapidly, which means that their brains are more easily affected by what happens to them. The brain of an adolescent is more open to positive opportunities; it can also be more affected by not-so-good things. This is one of the reasons why drinking in adolescence is different from drinking in adulthood. The effects of alcohol are happening when the brain is busy growing, and alcohol can affect how the brain grows. This is why if an adolescent and an adult drink the same amount, the adolescent is more likely to be harmed by it.¹²

Animal studies suggest that adolescents are less sensitive to some of alcohol’s short-term negative effects on their movement and…