This is what might happen when a child drinks alcohol

Although alcohol is often served in drinks and adults can enjoy it, it is fundamentally a drug. The way alcohol works is similar to antidepressant drugs, namely by suppressing or slowing down the work of the brain. Like any drug, excessive doses of alcohol can harm anyone who drinks it. This is why children are not allowed to drink liquor. However, what might happen if a child drinks alcohol? Note carefully the full explanation below.

Why can't children drink alcohol?

Unlike adults, children's organs are not able to digest alcohol. Especially in children under 15 years of age. When children drink alcohol, the effects can be felt in the short and long term. In the short term, children can get alcohol poisoning and cause death. Meanwhile, in the long term, there is the possibility of the child becoming an alcoholic.

However, if parents really want to introduce teenagers to liquor that contains alcohol, you should give it a little gradually. According to experts, you should not offer your child to drink alcohol before he turns 15. Also, make sure that you are always with your child when they try alcohol. When you store alcoholic beverages at home, keep it out of reach of children.

To prevent children from drinking outside of parental supervision, you are also required to provide education about the dangers of alcohol and teach how to refuse invitations from peers to drink alcohol without parental supervision.

The dangers of letting your child drink alcohol

The impact of drinking alcohol on the body of a child who is still growing up is quite serious. Here are the five dangers that may occur when minors drink alcohol.

1. Alcohol poisoning

Alcohol poisoning can occur when children consume high doses of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol poisoning is usually characterized by symptoms such as confusion, nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, body temperature dropping dramatically (the body becomes cold), seizures, loss of consciousness (fainting), and the skin becomes very pale or turns blue. In some cases, children can fall into a coma or die from alcohol poisoning.

2. Low blood sugar

Low blood sugar is one of the side effects that may occur when a child drinks alcohol. The reason is, in children's bodies, alcohol will block the release of glucose (sugar) into the blood. As a result, blood sugar levels dropped dramatically. This condition is also known as hypoglycemia.

Low blood sugar can cause headaches, seizures, and coma because the child's brain doesn't get enough glucose intake. If the child's blood sugar level really drops and is not treated immediately, hypoglycemia can cause sudden death. However, this case is very rare.

3. Liver damage

The liver (liver) is the organ whose job is to separate toxins and remove them from your body. Alcohol is a type of poison that must be removed by the liver. If your child often consumes alcoholic drinks, the liver is forced to work harder. This makes a child's liver more susceptible to damage or cirrhosis.

4. Impaired brain function

Alcohol will immediately cause a reaction to the central nervous system in the child's brain. The part of the brain affected by alcohol is the hippocampus, which regulates coordination, movement, memory, thinking skills, and language skills.

If a child's brain has been exposed to alcohol since childhood, the damage to the central nervous system can become serious and permanent. As a result, children's cognitive abilities such as thinking, remembering, and making decisions are disturbed.

5. Stunted growth

When children start drinking alcohol, the development of vital organs in their body such as the brain, liver, heart and bones will be hampered. This is because the alcohol in the child's body will disturb the hormonal balance. Meanwhile, hormones play a very important role in regulating various functions of the child's body, for example maintaining bone density.

6. Alcohol addiction

A number of studies have shown that children who have been drinking alcohol since childhood are more prone to experiencing problems with alcohol addiction in adolescence and adulthood. In addition, drinking alcohol before the age of 14 tends to encourage children to engage in a variety of risky behaviors. For example, doing violence, using illegal drugs, or having free sex with multiple partners.

Thus, direction and supervision from parents are very influential in shaping a child's sense of responsibility when consuming alcohol. This is also the reason why children under 21 are not encouraged to drink alcohol.