By: William C. Head, Attorney at Law, Atlanta, Georgia

Safety and Legal Risks of Underage Drinking

Consumption of alcoholic beverages, used by many to “unwind” or relax, is widely known to be a social “ice-breaker.”  The problem with alcohol consumption, however, is that humans tend to become addicted to the drug, and many suffer severe, life-altering effects from becoming addicted to the drug.  Numerous studies have shown that regular drinking begun during the teenage years can lead to a higher incidence of lifetime addiction to alcohol.  Moreover, the cumulative health impact from long-term ingestion of alcohol can result in serious health risks such as liver damage, reduced brain function, increased risk of stroke and a host of other maladies.

Because alcoholic beverages may alter one’s mood by decreasing inhibitions, alcohol is the most common “date rape” drug.  Many new drugs and chemicals are now used by sexual predators to dupe an unsuspecting victim into believing she or he is drinking in moderation, only to later wake up and realize that a large segment of time and activities can’t be accounted for.  Evidence of sexual assault then confirms that some sort of inducement of a sleep state has occurred.

Alcohol consumption is widely accepted, often providing the cornerstone of social gatherings and celebrations.  Along with tobacco use, many adolescents associate the use of alcohol as a rite of passage into adulthood.  While the use and consumption of alcohol is prevalent and acceptable in our society, it should not come as a surprise that problems arise in the use of alcohol by those under age 21, such as public intoxication, underage possession of alcohol by a minor, DUI-DWI, and even felony offenses predicated upon impaired driving such as vehicular homicide (manslaughter by vehicle) or serious injury by vehicle.  These offenses can lead to state prison time for the remainder of the offender’s life.

One of the most difficult concepts for a person under age 21 to accept is the fact that they see adults consuming alcohol and want to emulate that behavior.  One major difference for those under age 21 is that alcohol for them is a CONTRABAND (prohibited) substance.

Hard facts about alcohol

- It’s a sedative (induces sleep), hypnotic (causes a loss of touch with reality), and addicting (creates a psychological craving for the substance) drug.  Yes, it is a DRUG, just like many prescribed pills or liquid pharmacy compounds.

- Alcohol quickly impairs judgment and leads to behavior that can easily contribute to, or cause accidents.

- Because all alcoholic beverages contain various flavorings or byproducts from brewing or fermentation, a distinctive, telltale odor of an alcoholic beverage will be detectable from the person’s breath and perspiration as the beverage is metabolized (burned off) within the human body.  This smell “flags” the attention of police officers or others who will inform police officers of illegal consumption of alcohol by minors.

The erratic effects of alcohol

When alcohol is consumed, the drug is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream.  Some absorption occurs in the mouth, esophagus and stomach, but the majority (80% to 90%) is typically absorbed through the pyloric valve that is located just below the stomach in the small intestines.  Once absorbed, the alcohol is transported by the blood throughout the body and permeates every organ and tissue --- eyes, heart muscle, brain, bones and connective tissue.  Its toxic effects vary considerably from person to person, and are influenced by variables such as gender, lean (muscle) body mass, rate of consumption (time), and total quantity consumed. An average “drink” will typically contain approximately 0.38 to 0.57 of pure alcohol.  The problem with this standard is that not every bartender of server of alcohol pours a standard drink quantity of the beverage in question.  This chart will help you know a “ballpark” quantity of alcohol in several common types of beverage, assuming the corresponding number of ounces of the beverage is poured:

Beverage              Ounces              Ballpark Pure Alcohol Content

Table Wine (white)             4                                           .43

Table Wine (red)                4                                            .48

Malt Beverage (beer)         12                                         .57

Regular Beer                       12                                         .53

Light Beer                            12                                          .48

Aperitif Liquor                     1 ½                                         .38

Champagne                       4                                             .48

Vodka (100 proof)              1                                             .50

Whiskey (86 proof)             1 ¼                                        .50

The average, healthy person who does not have liver problems eliminates (metabolizes) pure alcohol at a fairly constant rate - about .30 oz. (smaller persons weighing 100 to 130 pounds) to .50 oz. (larger persons weighing 170 pounds or more) of pure alcohol per hour, which is roughly equivalent to the amount of pure alcohol contained in any of the popular drinks listed in Table 1.  This rate of elimination of alcohol is relatively constant for each individual, regardless of the total amount of alcohol consumed.  Therefore, a person who recklessly drinks down a large quantity of an alcoholic beverage either risks permanent brain damage, respiratory arrest or even death from the risk of reaching a toxic level of alcohol in his or her body before the normal bodily functions of elimination can remove it from the person’s body.  Incidentally, exercise, coffee drinking and urinating have virtually NO IMPACT on reducing blood alcohol levels.  Only TIME and good liver function will remove most of the alcohol consumed.

The Risk of Binge Drinking or Chugging Alcoholbr>
The well-documented pattern of reckless consumption of alcohol by teenagers identifies the problem for anyone who “binge” drinks or “chugs” alcoholic beverages as part of a dare or a “contest.”  As can be determined from the previous section of this article, whether a person consumes one drink per hour or rapidly consumes many drinks, the rate of alcohol elimination from the drinker’s body is essentially the same.  For a small-framed person weighing 120 pounds or less, the quantity of a high alcohol-content beverage consumed can be fairly small and serious injury or death can occur.

Most medical authorities consider that five (5) or more alcoholic beverages at one drinking session to be “binge” drinking.  Unless the period of time allowed for spacing out these drinks is 10 hours or more, any drinker who weighs 150 pounds or less is going to risk a D.U.I. – D.W.I. arrest and possible conviction.  Plus, anyone under age 21 risks an arrest for underage consumption or possession of alcohol, even if the police encounter a teen walking down the street or merely being a passenger in a car or truck being driven by someone else who gets pulled over at a roadblock or routine traffic stop.

Virtually ANY healthy person can drink one standard drink per two hours over the course of a normal evening (i.e., being out for under 4 hours) and never exceed a 0.02 blood alcohol level.  However, most states have a ZERO TOLERANCE for anyone under age 21, and any measurable level of alcohol will result in problems for someone who is underage.

Hangovers and Other Risks That Arise for Teenagers

Based on the prior segment of this article, the more alcohol an individual consumes, the longer it takes his/her body to get rid of it.  Even after complete elimination of all of the alcohol in the body, undesirable side effects in the form of a “hangover” can last 24 to 72 hours following the last drink.  The majority of adverse effects produced by alcohol relate to swelling of the brain, pressure build-up in the eyes or double vision, and altering the inner ear-three functions relating to balance.

Hangover alters normal brain functioning including impaired reaction time, reasoning, judgment, and memory.  Alcohol decreases the ability of the brain to utilize oxygen.  This adverse effect can be magnified for persons living at high altitudes, or who are flying, and is often characterized by dizziness or even reduced ability to hear.  Fatigue and sleep pattern disruption are also common symptoms for a person who has consumed too much alcohol.

Some teens attempt to counter the painful and debilitating side effects of a hangover by utilizing “home remedies” or urban myths to try to mask the visible changes they are enduring.  One of the most dangerous practices is the use of certain pain-killers to try to “treat” their pain symptoms.  Acetaminophen (Tylenol®) is sometimes taken in an attempt to sooth the painful headache suffered by many who imbibe alcohol in excessive quantities.  Unfortunately, this poses a great danger because this drug is one of the leading causes of liver failure and death from liver failure if it is taken in excessive quantities.  Because liver damage is also caused by excessive drinking of alcohol, the liver is assailed by two enemies, and the person’s liver can be compromised.  One of the early side-effects is yellowing of the white part of a person’s eyes, and later their skin will turn yellow.

The only true method of overcoming a hangover is to drink massive quantities of water to re-hydrate the brain and other body tissues and to rest for enough time for the toxins to depart from your body.  Normal food intake will also be fine, but taking more than two low-dose aspirin tablets every 4 hours can pose a danger.  Attempts to totally eliminate the harsh effects from hangover can backfire and cause other unexpected health problems for the teenage (or the adult) drinker who consumes alcohol in excessive amounts.