Destructive drinking practices by teenage drivers can not only increase the risk of being involved in an accident, but could also lead to a DUI arrest. According to a new study, teenagers between 15 and 19 are much more likely to suffer a blackout after binging on alcohol.
The results of the study were published recently in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. The researchers found in their analysis that teenagers who have certain personality characteristics are much more likely to binge drink or drink excessively to the point where they black out.
A blackout occurs when a person’s blood alcohol content is much higher than the legal intoxication level. The legal intoxication level in the state of California is .08%. Blackouts don't occur at that level, however. The higher the level of that alcohol intoxication in the blood, the higher the chance of a blackout.
The researchers are specifically focusing on persons in the age group of 15 to 19, because the heaviest alcohol consumption is linked to this age group. Youngsters between the ages 15 and 22 are much more likely to drink excessively to the point where they are heavily intoxicated, and likely to susceptible to a blackout.
Unfortunately, underage drinking is considered cool, and is considered a desirable trait in a teenager. Blackouts are extremely dangerous however. A person doesn't remember what has happened during a blackout. When a person with such high levels of intoxication chooses to operate a motor vehicle, he's in danger of blacking out and causing an accident. Women could be at a much higher risk of being assaulted, or becoming victims of a sex crime when they are blacked out.
