Alcohol and the Adolescent Brain

The Chemical Health policy is clear. Alcohol or other substance violations result in extended suspensions. Here's why, from the basketball blog. 

“But there’s nothing else to do” or “everyone else does it.”

Alcohol has powerful depressant effects, initially decreasing inhibitions. Alcohol damages many organs, including the esophagus and stomach (gastritis), pancreas, liver (fat deposition, inflammation, eventually scarring/cirrhosis), heart (high blood pressure, rhythm disturbances, muscle damage), nerve (damage), and brain (cognition).

The adolescent brain suffers numerous toxicities from alcohol. The New York Times shares classic information about teen alcohol risks. Aside from impaired judgment and driving risks, teen alcohol use predisposes to alcoholism and impairs brain centers responsible for learning, memory, and spatial relationships.

Peer pressure often overrules both prohibitions and common sense, even despite athletic suspensions.

But why should student-athletes particularly care? A single night’s alcohol use hurts hydration (alcohol is a diuretic), muscle recovery, healing, and can cause memory deficits for three days. Alcohol damages sleep. It limits absorption of key vitamins. It decreases endurance.

Teen girls are at even higher risk.  Sports require both coordination and complex spatial processing. Studies showed decreased brain activity in relevant areas (by brain imaging with functional MRI).

Alcohol use by teen athletes compromises central (brain) and peripheral (muscle and organ) function, some of which can be irreversible. Alcohol use shows selfishness as athletes hurt themselves and teammates. High performance demands exceptional behaviors, high commitment, and discipline.

Coaches fear losing players and underachievement by impaired players. This weekend former Melrose Athletic Director Sonny Lane gets inducted into the Melrose Hall of Fame. Coach Lane feels his greatest contribution as AD was developing the Chemical Health policy. He made a special contribution to volleyball, hiring Coach Scott Celli. 

Maybe you think, "I won't get caught." In the Social Media era, people are all too willing to drop a dime on you. You will get caught, hurting yourself, your family, and your team. You're either all in for the team or you're not.