Alcohol Has Lasting Effects On The Brain

It has always been noted that the drinking age is set at 21 due to the completion of brain development, but studies have shown that the brain actually finishes developing around the age of 25. Recent evidence suggests that excessive alcohol use has a negative and lasting effect on the brain. Disorders that are commonly linked to alcohol related brain damage are a result of continual alcohol abuse starting at a young age. The disabilities of memory and learning loss that can follow a lifetime of alcohol abuse may be physical and/or psychological, and there is no doubt that they will have a notable effect on the user and their community. Because it is hard to identify an alcohol addict before they are addicted, it is similarly difficult to get early treatment for the resulting brain disorders. 

The best way to avoid detrimental changes in brain function is to use alcohol only in moderation, or not at all. The age where the most change in general brain function occurs is in young adults under 25. Although the drinking age is 21 years old, the hippocampus and front structures of the brain are not fully developed until approximately age 25. These areas of the brain work with memory and learning capabilities. Through excessive alcohol abuse, young adults' brains are structurally changed by notably shrinking, and there are some significant changes to the white matter tracks.

Research shows that the age at which a person starts drinking regularly is a pivotal point in their future complications with alcoholism. However, research has also shown that the legal age for drinking does not affect this epidemic. This is because young adults will most often find ways to get alcohol regardless of what age they can legally buy it. In Australia for example, the legal drinking age is 18 years old, but health reports have shown very similar alcohol related brain damage to that of the United States.

The only way to treat this disease is to prevent the cause – alcohol abuse – completely. Researchers have emphasized early intervention at an early age being the key. In a person's young adult years, their brains are much more susceptible to change, development, and also damage. By recognizing and confronting the signs of risky drinking behavior in young adulthood, the specific brain damage caused from repetitive, excessive, and extended drinking can be prevented.  It is a tragedy that many young people suffer for their lack of education about what can happen in the future. Memory and learning ability loss caused by alcohol is preventable, and potentially reversible if  it is caught early on. If you or a loved one feel as though you may have developed or are in the process of developing an alcohol dependence, do not hesitate to get some sort of treatment. The worst thing you can do is live in ignorance and suffer the consequences later on.