Excessive alcohol consumption by teenagers and young adults could harm their learning ability and result in memory loss, a medical expert said yesterday.
Chen Yi-chien (陳益乾), director of Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital’s mental health department, cited an investigation by the Health Promotion Administration, showing that 43 percent of adults over the age of 18 consumed alcohol in 2017, while 27.7 percent of teenagers aged 12 to 17 reported having consumed alcohol.
Alcohol hurts one’s learning ability and memory the most, Chen said, adding that surveys from the US and Germany show that rates of alcohol abuse and addiction in people aged 18 to 21 are on the rise.
Excessive alcohol use can result in gastrointestinal bleeding, liver disease, diabetes, decreased bone density, cancer, dementia and brain damage, he said, adding that it can also lead to violence and drunk-driving accidents.
Compared with the US, which sets the legal drinking age at 21, Taiwan allows people to start drinking at 18, Chen said.
“The teenage years are a crucial time for brain development, which continues until the age of 20. Any foreign substance would affect cerebral development,” he said.
Chen said men should drink no more than two cans of beer per week, while women should drink one can of beer per week.
People could become addicted to alcohol if they start drinking in their teenage years, he said.
“Once a person becomes alcoholic, it is a road of no return. Their body changes from liking alcohol to needing alcohol. If they stop drinking, their hands shiver and they begin to hallucinate. Eight to 10 percent of alcoholics die within five years of being diagnosed with alcohol addiction,” Chen said.
In addition to medication, alcoholics can also be treated using psychotherapy, Chen said.
“Alcoholics can become sober quicker through clinical interventions. However, without strong self-control, they can relapse once they leave hospital,” Chen said. “The best way to avoid becoming an alcoholic is to stay away from alcoholic beverages.”
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