Pitfalls of Underage Drinking and Marijuana Use
On the road of life everyone can expect twist and turns, valleys and hills. Good choices and healthy living can help us avoid pitfalls or places where we can truly get delayed and disoriented. Two such pitfalls are underage drinking and marijuana use. These two practices can lead to health problems, judgment impairment and legal consequences. Underage drinking is a very serious problem and it brings some serious consequences along with it. It can affect ones health in many ways. Alcohol use can lead to liver failure or disease and if taken too far can even cause death. Also, alcohol consumption by someone who is underage has a negative effect on the development of the brain
and can lead to memory problems. Underage alcohol use also has a very negative effect on ones judgment and they will do something that they would not normally do if not under the influence. Alcohol use can lead to bad decisions such as unwanted, unplanned and unprotected sexual activity or getting behind the wheel of a car and driving and hurting yourself or someone else. Underage drinking, as well as marijuana use, will also cause some legal problems. The practice of either of these two illegal actions will lead to an arrest and from there the individual, depending on their prior history and nature of the act, will receive a fine, mandatory awareness courses or jail time. Marijuana use is also a very serious problem being seen in America today and marijuana also has some negative effects. Every time a person uses marijuana they are damaging their lungs and obstructing the airway a little bit more. Marijuana use can lead to cough and phlegm production, lung infection and lung cancer. Its use also impairs the body immune system and brain activity. Marijuana decreases the body’s ability to fight infections and causes problems with memory and learning. The use of marijuana also negatively impairs one’s judgment and motor coordination skills. It shortens your attention span and decreases your motor coordination skills. The drug also affects short-term memory and the brains ability to process new material. People who smoke marijuana almost always experience declines in grades and difficulties in the classroom related to drug use. The use of alcohol also has similar negative effects on schoolwork and in the classroom. Hopefully on the road through life one can avoid pitfalls and reach their destination with good health, good judgment and no legal consequences. This is accomplished by no underage drinking or marijuana use.