One of many reasons not to drink

I wrote this a long time ago for my school's website, but I really don't care if people look at it.

"New research indicates that teenagers who drink too much may lose as much as 10 percent of their brainpower ? the difference between passing and failing in school?and in life."

This quote appears in a Discover Magazine article dated March 2001, titled "Getting Stupid". This article is also the main source of the information cited below.

From Home Page As many people know, the brain is one of the most important organs in the human body. It is necessary for our hearts to beat, to stimulate our muscles, to interpret and perceive events, and to remember. However, many kids are literally causing brain damage by abusing alcohol. Although alcohol affects many other organs in the body, such as the liver, only recently has the magnitude of damage to the young brain been studied.

The brain is a neural network of connections that are stronger or weaker depending on how often that connection is used or accessed. That is why, if you recite something over and over, you remember it more. The neural connections are reinforced each time they are used.

The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain used in planning, abstract thinking, assimilating information and making sound decisions. During the early teenage years through the twenties, this part of the brain undergoes a massive change. First the neurons form numerous branches of connections. Later, many of these branches deteriorate. Connections that aren?t used and reinforced are removed.

Studies show that during this period of development from the early teens through the mid twenties, the prefrontal cortex is particularly susceptible to damage from alcohol. According to the Discover article, ?Preadolescent tissue suffered four to five times more cell death than did adult tissue.? This damage has lasting effects on learning ability, and even on personality development.

There is another reason to abstain from drinking at a young age. There is a direct correlation between alcohol dependency and the age drinking started. Those who started at 15 years old were four times as likely to be alcohol dependent as those who began drinking at 21 or 22.

Mounting evidence suggests that teens who binge drink may experience a significant decline in mental capacity. How many teenagers are affected? According to Henry Wechsler of the Harvard School of Public Health, 40% of college students regularly binge-drink. How many drinks constitute binge drinking? Consuming four or five drinks in one session qualifies as binge drinking.

Drinking at a young age is almost a rite of passage, but it is a bad one. The younger the drinking is done, the worse the damage.

So is it okay to drink if you are over 20?

So is it okay to drink if you are over 20?

It does less damage the older you are.
20 is better than 15, and 25 is better than 20. It's at your discretion (discounting the laws about it).

And? What kind of person needs a brain? We have machines to breath and pump blood and shit for us,so what's the use of a brain anyway?

What kind of person needs a brain?

A sane one.

Very good.  I didn't start drinking until about 19 and even then it wasn't very much.  I have watched some very intelligent people literally get dumber over the years because they have been getting hammered pretty much every weekend for 5 years in a row.


On the other hand, alcohol is your best friend if you really need to get laid and there are only fat chicks around.

Quote from: Waste of Mind on April 22, 2009, 08:30:11 PM

What kind of person needs a brain?

A sane one.

Sanity is relative.

actually can someone without a brain be insane? Can a rock be insane? I think not.

Your theory doesn't explain brilliant writers like Hemingway and Kerouac. Both drunks.

I wrote this a long time ago for my school's website, but I really don't care if people look at it.

Quote

"New research indicates that teenagers who drink too much may lose as much as 10 percent of their brainpower ? the difference between passing and failing in school?and in life."

This quote appears in a Discover Magazine article dated March 2001, titled "Getting Stupid". This article is also the main source of the information cited below.

From Home Page As many people know, the brain is one of the most important organs in the human body. It is necessary for our hearts to beat, to stimulate our muscles, to interpret and perceive events, and to remember. However, many kids are literally causing brain damage by abusing alcohol. Although alcohol affects many other organs in the body, such as the liver, only recently has the magnitude of damage to the young brain been studied.

The brain is a neural network of connections that are stronger or weaker depending on how often that connection is used or accessed. That is why, if you recite something over and over, you remember it more. The neural connections are reinforced each time they are used.

The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain used in planning, abstract thinking, assimilating information and making sound decisions. During the early teenage years through the twenties, this part of the brain undergoes a massive change. First the neurons form numerous branches of connections. Later, many of these branches deteriorate. Connections that aren?t used and reinforced are removed.

Studies show that during this period of development from the early teens through the mid twenties, the prefrontal cortex is particularly susceptible to damage from alcohol. According to the Discover article, ?Preadolescent tissue suffered four to five times more cell death than did adult tissue.? This damage has lasting effects on learning ability, and even on personality development.

There is another reason to abstain from drinking at a young age. There is a direct correlation between alcohol dependency and the age drinking started. Those who started at 15 years old were four times as likely to be alcohol dependent as those who began drinking at 21 or 22.

Mounting evidence suggests that teens who binge drink may experience a significant decline in mental capacity. How many teenagers are affected? According to Henry Wechsler of the Harvard School of Public Health, 40% of college students regularly binge-drink. How many drinks constitute binge drinking? Consuming four or five drinks in one session qualifies as binge drinking.

Drinking at a young age is almost a rite of passage, but it is a bad one. The younger the drinking is done, the worse the damage.

How much drinking and at what age would be required for this damage? In what ways does this damage generally manifest itself? How is loss of intelligence gauged with these studies. Were the people forced to stop drinking for a certain period before the study to see if some of the damage was temporary due to toxins?

I'd really like to know the details. Especially the how much.

Your theory doesn't explain brilliant writers like Hemingway and Kerouac. Both drunks.

infinite monkeys, infinite typewriters.

I will never forget one time way back in elementary school the teacher asked what is more important the brain or the heart?  I proposed the brain since it controls everything in the body and there were machines that could pump blood for you. Some dumbass argued that it was the heart because if you removed the brain you would "just be brain dead."  That didn't bother me as much as the teacher agreeing with her.

Lol. And if you remove the heart you can still be alive.

Lol. And if you remove the heart you can still be alive.

Actually, yes.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/HeartHealth/wireStory?id=6292593

So like I had my first alcoholic beverage at age 3. I believe this explains something to everyone here.

Quote from: Guessed on April 22, 2009, 08:35:27 PM

Your theory doesn't explain brilliant writers like Hemingway and Kerouac. Both drunks.

infinite monkeys, infinite typewriters.

Cliches are not explanations.

I will never forget one time way back in elementary school the teacher asked what is more important the brain or the heart?  I proposed the brain since it controls everything in the body and there were machines that could pump blood for you. Some dumbass argued that it was the heart because if you removed the brain you would "just be brain dead."  That didn't bother me as much as the teacher agreeing with her.

actually if you removed the brain the person would die soon after. the brain controls many functions of the body. One someone is brain dead at least some parts of the brain are functioning or the body dies withing a 12 hour period. having a nurse for a mom teaches you a lot.

Quote from: JUNKER on April 22, 2009, 08:37:50 PM

I will never forget one time way back in elementary school the teacher asked what is more important the brain or the heart?  I proposed the brain since it controls everything in the body and there were machines that could pump blood for you. Some dumbass argued that it was the heart because if you removed the brain you would "just be brain dead."  That didn't bother me as much as the teacher agreeing with her.

actually if you removed the brain the person would die soon after. the brain controls many functions of the body. One someone is brain dead at least some parts of the brain are functioning or the body dies withing a 12 hour period. having a nurse for a mom teaches you a lot.

Yes, that was the point that I was trying to make back then.  Having the teacher agree with the other person was quite irritating. 

I'd really like to know the details. Especially the how much.

I actually don't remember anymore, but I'm sure you are capable of researching it.
Main source here. I don't have the others saved.

Yes, that was the point that I was trying to make back then.  Having the teacher agree with the other person was quite irritating. 

She shouldn't have been teaching.
What was the class?

Quote from: optimisticcynic on April 22, 2009, 08:42:52 PM

Quote from: JUNKER on April 22, 2009, 08:37:50 PM

I will never forget one time way back in elementary school the teacher asked what is more important the brain or the heart?  I proposed the brain since it controls everything in the body and there were machines that could pump blood for you. Some dumbass argued that it was the heart because if you removed the brain you would "just be brain dead."  That didn't bother me as much as the teacher agreeing with her.

actually if you removed the brain the person would die soon after. the brain controls many functions of the body. One someone is brain dead at least some parts of the brain are functioning or the body dies withing a 12 hour period. having a nurse for a mom teaches you a lot.

Yes, that was the point that I was trying to make back then.  Having the teacher agree with the other person was quite irritating. 

BUT THE HEART CONTROLS LOVE.

BUT THE HEART CONTROLS LOVE.

And the brain does nothing but make mucus.


Where did the symbolism for a heart to mean or imply love come from anyways?

Quote from: Waste of Mind on April 22, 2009, 08:54:11 PM

BUT THE HEART CONTROLS LOVE.

And the brain does nothing but make mucus.


Where did the symbolism for a heart to mean or imply love come from anyways?

I assume they way it is affected by lust and fear and such. you know speeding up and such.

Quote from: Waste of Mind on April 22, 2009, 08:54:11 PM

BUT THE HEART CONTROLS LOVE.

And the brain does nothing but make mucus.


Where did the symbolism for a heart to mean or imply love come from anyways?

The jews did it so they could make money.

Quote from: JUNKER on April 22, 2009, 08:48:40 PM

Yes, that was the point that I was trying to make back then.  Having the teacher agree with the other person was quite irritating. 

She shouldn't have been teaching.
What was the class?

I don't remember what year, but I think 2nd or 3rd grade; it was a long while back.  These are the same teachers showing kids about the the roundness of the earth 

Quote from: Raist on April 22, 2009, 08:38:49 PM

Lol. And if you remove the heart you can still be alive.

Actually, yes.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/HeartHealth/wireStory?id=6292593

I wasn't being sarcastic. I was paralleling the way the "you're just braindead" sentence was worded.

Quote from: JUNKER on April 22, 2009, 08:40:25 PM

Quote from: Raist on April 22, 2009, 08:38:49 PM

Lol. And if you remove the heart you can still be alive.

Actually, yes.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/HeartHealth/wireStory?id=6292593

I wasn't being sarcastic. I was paralleling the way the "you're just braindead" sentence was worded.

Didn't think you were being sarcastic.  I was just reinforcing it with an example.

13 reasons not to drink, including:


http://www.chooseyouritem.com/jokes/drunk.html

This could be correct. I stopped being smart around the same time that I started drinking.

I did all my hard drinking while in high school. I do not have the time or money any more.