User:EllieSyvertsen/sandbox

Dangers of Underage Drinking
During the adolescence period of life, ages 10-24, the brain undergoes drastic changes that can be severely affected by alcohol. Experiences an adolescence experiences affects the new connections among neurons that are being formed. Personal shared and outside experiences the child faces are critical to how the child will later develop. When this process is interrupted by alcohol, the brain can not fully develop to the best of it's ability. One brain region where particularly extensive remodeling occurs is the frontal region of the outer layer of the brain—the prefrontal cortex—which is thought to be involved in working memory, voluntary motor behavior, impulse control, rule learning, spatial learning, planning, and decision making. These changes are especially extensive in humans. Although the number of neurons and neuronal connections in the prefrontal cortex appear to decline during adolescence, the relative importance of the frontal lobes increases.

Memory
The region of the brain that is responsible for memory is the hippocampus which is located in the deep, back end of the brain. The hippocampus is where all memories are formed and stored for either short term or long term. When alcohol is introduced to the hippocampus, it can disrupt a person’s ability to form new, lasting memories to a far greater extent than it interferes with the ability to recall previously established memories or to hold new information in memory for just a few seconds. The affects alcohol has on a developing brain, causes them to be unable to fully retain all the information that they could have retained had alcohol not been present.

National Laws
Laws are put in place throughout the nation that prohibits certain people to access any form of alcohol. If a person decides to purchase or consume alcohol, they must be the age of twenty one or above. Under the twenty first amendment, at a state level, they are allowed to control the sale of alcohol, the distribution of alcohol, the importation of alcohol, and the status regarding who can possess alcohol. These determining factors are decided on a state level instead of a national. The federal government classifies an alcoholic beverage to contain .005% of alcohol, however, many states are legally allowed to determine for themselves what they believe is the best number. When buying alcohol, one must provide a real form of identification to prove their age. Most states allow a driver's license, but it differs state to state in regards of a passport, birth certificate, or identification card. While driving in a vehicle, any possession of alcohol, a minor will be charged with the possession of it even if it is unopened. A minor can also be issued a citation for having alcohol in their possession even if on private property.

Internal Possession
States have passed laws prohibiting internal possession of alcohol by people under the age of twenty one. These provisions usually require evidence of alcohol in the minor's body. However, they do not require any specific evidence of possession or consumption. Internal possession laws are useful to police officers when making and arrest or issuing citations. These are very common when police officers are breaking up underage drinking parties. Internal possession laws allow officers to bring charges against underage persons who are neither holding nor drinking alcoholic beverages in the presence of law enforcement officers. If a police officer is responding to a house call, they have the right to enter and if they see any illegal activity, any minor that has the possession or has been consuming alcohol, the officer is allowed to detain and/or arrest them.

Alcohol in American Culture
There are many cultural norms that come along with underage drinking. The way America looks at drinking alcohol, reflects greatly on how much and when people decide to drink, and also shows effects in behavior during the drinking process. Many times alcoholic beverages contain a large social status on what you drink, when you drink, and how much you drink. These social standings play a large role with when, where, and how much people drink because of the social norm we put on alcohol and the status they will get. Many kids decide to drink alcohol because it makes them feel more mature and older than they are. During this, they believe they will be taken more seriously and therefore enjoy the feeling they get with their self feeling while consuming alcohol. Where people drink is highly influenced in all cultures because it gravitates towards where the most social area are. In this culture, many underage drinking takes place at college/high school parties, dormitories, or where large amounts of people are around. When there are more people drinking, it makes it easier for others to think it is okay and they will begin to join in.

Binge Drinking
Being in college, students can be surrounded by alcohol and being a parent, it is beneficial to be aware that binge drinking is a huge problem. Binge drinking is consuming four or more alcoholic beverages for females and five or more for men within a couple of hours.This can lead kids to make poor decision that can lead to life long consequences. Talking to your child can help them to understand that their actions matter and can have serious outcomes. However, research has shown that binge drinking has begun to slowly decrease and letting your children be informed on this can help shape their decision making.

Talking to Your Child
During this transition, it is very important to stay in communication with your child. This is a new chapter in their lives and a point where they can start to experiment to see what best fits their personality and life style. Research has shown that while a child might not have constant communication with their parents, the attitudes and the way they live their own lives is shown through their child. Setting an example and living your life how you want your child to live theirs is very important so they can see a positive role model. Many parents feel as though they do not know how to talk to their child, especially when they leave the house for college. One main way to talk to your child is to keep an open communication with them. Creating a safe spot for them to come to when something has gone wrong can make them feel as though they have someone to talk to. Setting a regular time to talk can also be very helpful while talking to your child. Having a set time where that is when you catch up and open the door to having a safe haven for your child. During these phone calls, it can be very important to check in on how they are going, how their roommates are, their diet, classes, and social life is all holding up. These years are very stressful and having a time to decompress and share things with their mother or father can be very beneficial to their health.