Extreme Drinking: Creative and Dangerous Buzz
According to the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 10 million Americans between the ages 12-20 report current alcohol consumption, and the number continues to rise. Teens are finding new ways to drink without getting caught. One New York teacher received a lesson on a new trend from her students. Some of her students were intoxicated off of alcohol soaked gummy bears. Gummy bear shots, also known as boozy bears or rummy bears, are easily made by submerging the chewy candies in alcohol. As the gummy candy absorbs the alcohol, they begin to swell; a small detail that goes unnoticed by adults. This camouflaged and creative way of drinking actually is dangerous as it masks the taste of the liquor. For a first time drinker, this facilitates the drinking process and leads teens to consume large amounts of alcohol.
Another outrageous and dangerous way of getting drunk is Vodka tampons. Teens soak a tampon in alcohol and insert the tampons in their rectums or vaginas. The alcohol is absorbed directly into the bloodstream through the membrane walls. Not only can these alcohol enemas cause damage to the vagina, but this way of getting intoxicated could lead to alcohol poisoning. Alcohol poisoning cause’s alcohol blood levels to rise so high that one’s bodily functions, such as breathing and gag reflex, are not working properly. Impairment of these functions may cause choking on one’s vomit or asphyxiation.
Teens’ innovative schemes to drinking may cause underage drinking to rise and could ultimately lead to an addiction. Over time, the teen drinker may graduate to becoming an alcoholic by the time they reach adulthood. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, people who begin to drink by age 15 or younger are four times more likely to have alcohol dependence. Alcohol rehab centers will help treat the long standing addiction.
