Underage drinking can be pretty dangerous. In fact, drinking can have a lot of negative effects on a younger person’s body and attitude. However, it’s important to be aware of the underage drinking signs. That way, you can know when someone might be struggling with drinking and need some help…
Underage Drinking Signs: What Are They?
Poor school performance
One of the most apparent underage drinking signs is poor school performance. Much like with college alcoholism, a teen’s grades are usually the most immediate thing that suffers when they drink. Alcohol can cause a lot of mood and behavior changes which can cause formerly good students to skip or not behave in class.
This negative effect doesn’t only show up in the classroom. It can also show itself in extracurricular activities or hobbies. Alcohol can cause a student who used to be always involved in extra activities to neglect them in favor of alcohol. This kind of drastic shift in school performance can be an early sign that something might be up.
Problems with memory
Another one of the underage drinking signs is memory problems. Issues with memory or concentration are common in adults who drink heavily too. However, alcohol can have much more of an impact on a teen. This is because their brains are still developing, and are more at-risk than adult drinkers.
This can mean that alcohol can cause a lot of problems for a teen’s brain. For example, they may have more trouble remembering things or focusing on tasks. They might start doing something, get distracted, and forget what they’re supposed to be doing in the first place. Eventually, this can become noticeable even to those who don’t know them all that well.
Appearing to be drunk
This might be the most obvious of the underage drinking signs. Still, you might think that even a teen wouldn’t be so obvious about their drinking. However, considering that most teens tend to binge drink, they wouldn’t be able to effectively hide it, even when they try.
Alcohol has a very noticeable scent, even when someone tries to cover it up. Teens might try to chew gum or spray cologne, but they won’t be able to fully cover the smell. Plus, it’s effects are always obvious, like slurred speech, stumbling around, and bloodshot eyes. If a teen comes home like this, then the red flags should be pretty apparent that something is going on.
