Spring break is often viewed as a rite of passage for students. For high school seniors, stereotypically spent on a beach with a drink in hand. With many South seniors leaving the county, fleeing to places where the legal drinking age is 18, this respite from spring semester is notoriously associated with high alcohol usage and other drugs.
In a survey by The Tower, 61.5 percent of students at South intend to drink alcohol over spring break, with 70 percent of them consuming more than five drinks per day. Nicole Westfall, a teacher who taught health at South for 20 years, understands the effects of early alcohol usage.
“The brain is still developing well past your time in school and can be harmed by excessive drinking,” Westfall said. “Alcohol can cause long-term damage to the brain, as well as causing breathing problems.”
According to the Journal of Neuroscience in 2018, research revealed that heavy teen drinkers have 10 percent smaller hippocampal volume, which is responsible for learning and memory.
Other future problems include increasing the risk of liver disease, heart disease and high blood pressure. School Resource Officer Jim LaBeau works with law-enforcement to aid students with substance use.
“There’s nothing lawfully we could do to punish a student who drinks in a foreign country,” LaBeau said. “However, if a student were to post their usage of alcohol on social media and it was shown before a staff member, there may be implications with the student code of conduct.”
At South, illegal substance use on-campus leads to a five-day suspension through expulsion, and in some classes is reported to local law enforcement. For activities and sports, consequences involve removal from all positions.
“It’s very serious from a law enforcement standpoint,” LaBeau said. “I like meeting with those kids that get caught with marijuana, alcohol, they’re not bad people. They just need some guidance and direction and that’s where I want to factor in.”
The draw for many students to pour themselves a drink is rooted from one common theme: to control one’s emotions. When alcohol is consumed, heart rate and breathing slow down, causing the production of chemicals that release anxiety or depression in the body to be reduced.
Although early alcohol use can lead to addiction, it’s rarely the case. According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, only 5 percent of teen drinkers experienced heavy drinking habits later in life. One anonymous student shared that they started consuming alcohol because of school related stress.
“Not everyone who consumes alcohol at a young age is addicted to it,” the anonymous source said. “Adults often think that teenagers and young people never set boundaries for themselves when it comes to alcohol consumption, but it’s not always the case. Whether I’m going to another country or drinking in the United States, it’s never impossible to set boundaries to drink responsibly at a young age.”
Despite warnings from teachers, law enforcement, and experts, underage drinking remains a normal habit for many students, especially during spring break. Social media, peer influence and new freedoms contribute to alcohol’s appeal, making it difficult for students to reject. While some students set limits, alcohol impairs judgment, making it harder to recognize how far they’ve gone.
“I know there are risks, but I feel like it’s a part of growing up,” the anonymous source said. “Lots of us are just trying to have fun and enjoy our last months before graduation. We’re not trying to be reckless, but sometimes it can help our problems.”
