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<p>[Alcohol</a> Does Not Kill Brain Cells](<a href=“http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/10/alcohol-does-not-kill-brain-cells/]Alcohol”>Alcohol Does Not Kill Brain Cells)</p>
<p>Okay, seriously. Does anybody even USE the Internet correctly anymore? Like, there are so many other actually legitimate arguments that could be made against alcohol use, and you choose one that’s a myth? Come on.</p>
<p>Tongue-in-cheek…</p>
<p>…and I though CC was made up of the world’s best and brightest. Perhaps I was too subtle.</p>
<p>And actually, would it make a difference if I said it was because Penn Jillette appeared to me in a vision and spoke to me in an ancient tongue about the dangerous effects of alcohol and how it corrodes the soul? </p>
<p>People can decide not to drink for their own reasons, you know.</p>
<p>I drink maybe once a weekend and smoke three times a week, on average. I also use drugs quite a bit.</p>
<p>My personal opinion? No to pot, and after 21, drinking might be an option. One thing about drinking. Drink but don’t get drunk. Words for life, man, words for life.</p>
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<p>You will never experience the joy of being drunk with your friends, I am sorry for your decision.</p>
<p>Waiting to try smoking and drinking is a very smart idea. There is so much at your fingertips in HS. An endless parade of vices is there for those that want to escape. And you have to remember that escape is what it is all about. There are dangers though that many people don’t consider when they decide to party. Excessive partying at the age when people are in high school can damage both your body and mind in ways that you might nor realize.</p>
<p>In a high school setting there is more that you are learning besides just the actual classes that you are studying. The social skills that you master at this time will get you through many tough situations ahead. When you spend too much time"out of it" you are not getting these lessons. It is true of actual classes as well but the fact is that knowing how to deal with feeling nervous and uncomfortable in the lunchroom will be much more important than those Geometry theorems for most people later on.</p>
<p>The way partying kills brain cells is pretty important too since those don’t come back, ever. A quick conversation with someone that drinks or smokes a lot will show you pretty quickly what you have to look forward to when you go this route. It is not pretty.</p>
<p>I say that people should try everything once in a safe environment, then you can say if you like it or not. A safe environment may be with a friend or two one night, not the basement of a frat house or something similar</p>
<p>^^There is no way you can tell just by having a conversation with someone whether they drink or smoke a lot. Maybe when they are under the influence, but even then it can be easily concealed.</p>
<p>At least I can always be designated driver… plus, the first time I tried alcohol, I wanted to vomit. the only ok (i stress the OK) alcohol I’ve had so far is adult punsch from a Christmas market. Those who have been to Europe during Christmas will understand what I mean by that.</p>
<p>I absolutely respect everyone on this page who refrain from this stuff in HS, but don’t frame people who do use things like that as people who aren’t as academically/socially motivated. I’ve had my fair share of indulgences, still do to the day, and I’m going to a high end Ivy next year.</p>
<p>The though of an alleged correlation between drug use and high grades is actually quite comical.</p>
<p>Deziky: Alcohol is damaging to the brain whether it actually kills brain cells or not. </p>
<p>Same with pot and other drugs. Do some reading.</p>
<p>I’m in high school, & i drink and smoke if its available. i like the feeling it gives me. i don’t seek it out though. like if its at a party then i’ll do it. but i just don’t see why some people are obsessed w. smoking/drinking. i’ll probably do it in college too.</p>
<p>^^has anyone said there is a correlation?</p>
<p>I think it’s all preference. Some people just don’t like giving up control of themselves, and hate the feeling of being disoriented in anyway. Others love it, they see it as away to escape and clear their minds. So, I really don’t like when people associate those who don’t drink and do drugs as and boring, uncool people. This said, I also think it’s unreasonable to label the people that do do those things as immature and reckless.</p>
<p>But about the comments on alcohol and the brain, yes heavy usage at a young age does affect your brain development. There is just no dispute about that. However, one 18 year old’s brain can be more developed than another 21 year old’s brain. It just all depends, and some people just choose not to worry about it.</p>
<p>@Jlthames did you copy/paste that from a pamphlet your health teacher gave you?</p>
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<p>This is true. If you are not in the right mindset for high school you will not succeed. That said, drinking/smoking, when done appropriately, will not cause you to be in the wrong mindset for school. If you go to a party on Friday and drink, you will be fine by Saturday (the time changes based on how much you consume) to do homework or participate in activities. The affects of alcohol will be well out of your system by Monday when it is time for school.</p>
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<p>Please read: [Alcohol</a> Does Not Kill Brain Cells](<a href=“http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/10/alcohol-does-not-kill-brain-cells/]Alcohol”>Alcohol Does Not Kill Brain Cells)</p>
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<p>Right, because I drink a few times a month at parties my brain is rendered completely useless. I’m not the smartest kid out there, but I do okay when it comes to academics. My freshmen and sophomore year I had an average 3.8 GPA. I touched my first drop of alcohol this summer, before I started my junior year. This year, I got a 32 the first time I took the ACT and had a 4.15 the first quarter. I’m not going to say that alcohol has made me smarter (that’s clearly false), but it certainly hasn’t hindered my academic potential. </p>
<p>I really hope that post wasn’t serious… </p>
<p>It’s all about balance. If you come to school high then you are hindering your academic potential, but partying on the weekends will not make a difference if you are doing it responsibly.</p>
<p>It’s all about whether you do it responsibly</p>
<p>Crystal: If you read this whole thread, one person implied was that there was an alleged correlation. </p>
<p>Dfree: Just to play devil’s advocate, if drugs were having a negative effect on your brain, what’s to say your potential wasn’t higher? What if your potential was a 36 ACT and a 5.0 GPA (hypothetically)? I’m not saying they are affecting you negatively, but it’s just a thought.</p>
<p>@wizkid94 Hah, I knew someone was going to say something like that. Obviously I can’t prove that I would’ve had a 36/5.0, but my grades did improve at the beginning of my junior year.</p>
<p>^ “the fact that people taking drugs are underaged are breaking the law does suggest a lot about them”</p>
<p>I resent that statement so much. Ever driven over the speed limit? Jaywalked? Littered? Skipped a day of school without a legitamite reason and had your parents call in sick? It happens. I don’t think this has anything to do with a person’s character. </p>
<p>I do agree that weed can make people apathetic, but as long as it isn’t abused I think it’s fine. As long as someone is responsible with weed and alcohol I really don’t think it’s anyone else’s place to judge them. </p>
<p>In fact, it bothers me more when people judge others for it. It makes them look like judgemental pricks, honestly.</p>
<p>I drink quite often, I won’t lie. I’m a senior in high school, and at my school partying is mostly about drinking. Many of my friends smoke marijuana, however, I choose not to; I do not like smoking, but I don’t judge them as you have judged many already. I am number two in my class with a 4.1 GPA. </p>
<p>I would love for you to have a conversation with me and tell me that my brain has been rendered useless by alcohol. </p>
<p>(P.S.: IT HASN’T.)</p>