Introduction
For our second health project in 2022, we had to create a stall to inform our peers of the effects of alcohol (called the binge drinking expo). Every group got a few topics to research, and had to make an engaging and informative presenting method. Our topics were: Effects of alcohol on mental health, short and long term effects of binge drinking, reasons why people binge drink and alcohol laws in Australia and around the world. For our presenting method, we created a Quizizz. I was researching the short and long term effects of alcohol, as well as a smaller part of research regarding the effect of alcohol on mental health.
The Biggest Things I Learnt while Completing this Task
That alcohol can cause a lot of different cancers such as liver, mouth, throat, voice box, oesophagus, colon, and rectum cancer. It can cause psychosis which is the conditions of being unable to distinguish real from unreal (hallucination kind of thing). Alcohol can make the gag reflex stop working, which in turn can lead to suffocation by choking on vomit. The gag reflex helps vomit to stay out of the body when it is vomited out. Being deprived of the gag reflex can be deadly. Alcohol directly affects the brain and nervous system. Alcohol can block pathways in which the brain sends signals to the rest of the body, or that the body sends to the brain. This makes it harder for the brain to control things like speech, memory or good judgement. This causes a higher risk of injuries anywhere. The effects of alcohol take place within 5-10 minutes. I thought that the effects took place within 20-30 minutes rather than a short time like 5-10 minutes. This can cause an even higher risk of injuries, as more alcohol comes into effect faster. Alcohol can cause acute problems. Being an acute problem means that effects rapidly appear and would need medical attention. Examples of these are strokes, blackouts and heart attacks. Alcohol can causes a higher risk of breast cancer in women.
The Advice I would pass down to Young Teenagers
If I were to give teenagers advice on alcohol, I would tell them to never drink or if they do drink, to drink in extremely small amounts and to not be influenced by anyone else. Teenagers above everyone else because their brains are still developing. Drinking when still young can cause severe problems when they are older, as well as problems with alcohol (binge drinking etc.). I would tell them to never drink because even though they are allowed to drink at 18, it can still cause unwanted problems and the risk isn’t worth it. Drinking a lot less to not at all is definitely the safest way to go if you want less health problems. If they do drink, drink in small amounts so binge
drinking can be avoided. Peer pressure has a huge impact, especially on their friends. Playing it safe and remembering what is right instead of what is cool, is the way to go.
A Pledge that I will Commit to
I pledge that if I start drinking at the legal age of 18, I will not binge drink or be pressured to drink a more than I would want to. I will only drink in moderation and will avoid drinking if possible.
I chose to commit to these things because I feel they cover most topics that I am worried about, or think are most important. Of course if I do decide to drink, it should be at the legal age of 18, and in moderation. As I have learnt from this task, binge drinking or just drinking can lead to unwanted results. Of course, the best way to go is to not drink at all. Not drinking alcohol makes me avoid all risks of alcohol. A big factor that makes people get into drinking is peer pressure. If I can’t be swayed by peer pressure, than it would make it easier for me to make the decision not to drink/to drink in moderation.
I will stick to these commitments by reminding myself of the impact alcohol can have on the body, and that even though it is only a possibility, I should not take that chance.
