Apples for Health- Using science to promote a sober prom

Using science to promote a sober prom

WASHINGTON, May 21 (UPI) -- Prom season and graduation is often the first time a teenager tries alcohol, U.S. scientists said.

"A time of year that's supposed to be fun for parents and kids can turn ugly quickly," Shirley Malcom, a spokeswoman for the Science Inside Alcohol Project of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, said in a statement. "Alcohol-free means a lot less drama."

Instead of just asking a teen not to drink, the Science Inside Alcohol Project suggests explaining how alcohol can affect his or her body and end-of-school activities.

Alcohol can ruin prom night or graduation because:
-- Teens spend months preparing for prom and graduation, but if they drink, there's a good chance they may not remember it because the hippocampus, the part of the brain that stores memory, and drinking even small amounts can result in forgetting or blacking-out completely.
-- Alcohol helps release inhibitions and teens may indulge in risky behaviors such as unprotected sex or drunk driving.
-- Teens who drink are often more violent.
-- Alcohol can causing dehydration which often leads to vomiting, dizziness and even alcohol poisoning.
-- Alcohol can cause a hangover making the last days of school miserable.