Alcohol is unique. Unlike tobacco products or illicit drugs such as marijuana or heroin, it is perfectly fine for someone living God’s Way to enjoy beer, wine or liquor in moderation (provided they are above the legal age).

In society, alcohol is used at private banquets, wedding receptions, outdoor barbecues, and while gathering to watch a favorite sports team. You can probably recall many times alcoholic beverages were served at Church events such as dances and Holy Day dinners.

This should come as no surprise. God does not condemn the use of alcohol. During the Feast of Tabernacles, He allows us to spend the money we save on whatever we desire. For adults, this includes wine and strong drink (Deut. 14:26).

Even the first miracle Jesus performed was to change water into high-quality wine for wedding guests. He also established the use of wine during the Passover service.

God’s Word expands on the health benefits of alcohol. Notice what the apostle Paul instructed Timothy: “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your often infirmities” (I Tim. 5:23).

Alcohol in moderate amounts has many benefits. It protects the heart and blood vessels by lowering dangerous levels of cholesterol. Also, it contains properties that fight cancer and a variety of vitamins and minerals.

What the Bible does condemn is drunkenness. Galatians 5 shows the end result for those who consume too much: “Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like…they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (vs. 21).

Clearly, there are both right and wrong uses.

How one drinks is a test of a person’s character. God encourages adults to enjoy this activity in moderation. Resisting the temptation to consume too much helps adults build willpower and good character.

Alcohol provides a similar test for teenagers. Depending on where you live, laws vary regarding when you can begin to drink. In the United States, the age is 21. The United Kingdom is 18 and Canada is between 18 and 19. While parents in some cultures may give older children a little bit of wine during family meals, all teenagers have to wait until they are “of age” to fully enjoy alcoholic beverages.

Just as partaking of an occasional drink helps build willpower for adults, resisting the pulls of alcohol during your teenage years can help you build good character now. It will also set you up for a lifetime of properly enjoying alcohol later.

Allure of Alcohol

Alcohol companies spend a lot of money hyping up their products. In the United States, the industry devotes an average of $2 billion annually to advertising.

What does this mean for a typical teenager? According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, by the time you graduate from high school, most students your age will have seen “about 2,000 alcohol commercials on television each year.”

These companies know what they are doing. Ad spots often feature fun parties and bustling nightlife—and avoid showing the negative effects of hangovers and addiction.

The results are stunning. The World Health Organization estimates that there are 140 million alcoholics worldwide. In the U.S., one out of every three adults struggle with an alcohol problem during their lives.

While the media plays a central role in this, there are many other pressures to abuse alcohol—especially for teenagers.

As you transition to adulthood, your body undergoes various physical and emotional changes, which can cause you to feel vulnerable and self-conscious. This may result in certain levels of stress as well.

Teenagers look for mechanisms to cope with these pressures. Remember, your peers feel these stressors, too!

For example, many teenagers drink at parties to be accepted by others. They turn to alcohol, thinking that it will make them more popular and happy. Others drink to help them stand out from the crowd and seem more “adult.” Still others use alcohol to escape their circumstances, believing that their anger or sadness will disappear.

In addition, movies, books and society in general tend to paint experimenting with alcohol as “part of growing up.”

Fooled by the flood of misinformation and worn down by peer pressure, many turn to liquor when their lives feel upside down. Yet they often learn the hard way that drinking as a teenager can have devastating effects.

Widespread Problem

A range of consequences result from underage drinking. These may include subtle behavioral changes and trouble at school such as increased absenteeism or failing grades.

A lack of interest in sports or cultural activities can also develop. Teenagers who drink do not readily pursue personal development and may become more isolated.

From here, the list goes from bad to worse. Adolescents who drink are more likely to become involved in physical fights, which can lead to suspension from school or being arrested. They also are more likely to be sexually active or contract sexually transmitted diseases.

Death is the most tragic outcome. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA), “Each year, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking; this includes about 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle crashes, 1,600 as a result of homicides, 300 from suicide, as well as hundreds from other injuries such as falls, burns, and drowning.”

Additionally, underage drinking has serious long-term ramifications. The NIAA found that if you start drinking before age 15, you are four times more likely to become an alcoholic later in life.

Let this sink in. If you drink while you are young, you are four times more likely to be hooked on booze later.

In moderate doses, alcohol has a relaxing effect on the mind as dopamine, a hormone responsible for making you feel happy, increases. But, as blood alcohol concentration levels rise after drinking too fast or taking in more than the legal limit, some brain functions are inhibited.

Besides this, alcohol abuse has detrimental effects on the teenage brain. For example, alcohol depresses the frontal lobe of the brain, the main area where you create plans, form ideas, and make decisions. Since teenagers do not have a lot of life experience to draw on to make decisions, inhibiting the frontal lobe is clearly not a good idea!

The bodies and minds of adults are well-equipped to manage moderate alcohol use. But, because the brain continues to develop until around age 25, anything that decreases its function during those years can diminish growth and cause lasting effects over time.

A study by the University of California, San Diego, scanned the brains of teenagers ages 12 to 14 who binge drank, meaning they consumed four to five alcoholic beverages two to three times per month.

Scientists “found damaged nerve tissue in the brains of the teens who drank. The researchers believe this damage negatively affects attention span in boys, and girls’ ability to comprehend and interpret visual information.”

According to the research, binge drinking makes it harder for boys to concentrate on “activities that require an increased level of concentration.” Girls’ mental imagery skills are also affected, including reasoning, problem-solving, creativity and understanding verbal descriptions.

Although alcohol has adverse effects on teenagers, binge drinking is still common. One reason is that adolescents have a higher tolerance for alcohol than adults. This means that they do not exhibit obvious signs of intoxication such as slurred speech or drowsiness as quickly. It also means they may not get a headache the next day. Instead, the effects that are readily apparent to teenagers, such as being at ease in social situations, seem more positive.

All of this is a recipe for disaster. Teenagers tend to be more apprehensive about social gatherings, and alcohol can seem to help a person through them with no apparent long-term effects.

Yet think about what is occurring. Using alcohol as a crutch to be more friendly and outgoing robs you of an opportunity to build true social skills and learn who you are as a person.

Yes, it is hard to put yourself out there to build friendships and develop yourself. It will be awkward at times. You will make mistakes. But doing all of this without the artificial confidence of alcohol will make you even more prepared for adulthood.

Resist the Temptation

Given the many problems with overdrinking, the Bible forbids alcohol abuse. One of the reasons you should avoid misusing alcohol is because it can take you down a destructive path and cause a life of misery.

This is made clear in Ephesians: “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” (5:18). The word “excess” describes a degenerate, corrupt, reckless, wild and extravagant life. Alcohol abuse destroys physical health, ruins relationships, and breaks up families along the way.

Make a point to read Proverbs 23:29-35. It details the conduct of someone whose life is controlled by alcohol—and filled with sorrow and pain.

Such people often clash with authorities due to physical fights, drunk driving, or family abuse. Because of having weaker immune systems and livers, they often get sick or acquire other injuries when falling or crashing their vehicles during drunken episodes. In the end, their lives, jobs and families are affected. Because of their addictions, however, they always go back to drinking to solve their problems!

As with anything, knowing something is wrong is just the first step. What do you do if alcohol is offered to you?

Often, teenagers are introduced to alcohol at a private party with or without adult supervision. Of course, youth in God’s Church should avoid situations such as these. Still, you must be prepared for unexpected scenarios.

The following telling comment comes from a recovering alcoholic who had firsthand experience with its harmful effects as a teenager. He said: “If I had known how sneaky and dangerous and insidious alcohol is…If someone had…told me…I think that would have made a difference.”

The “difference” for him and many others, who only saw the appealing side of alcohol, would have been simply to be informed about how “sneaky” and “dangerous” it could be.

Rewind a few years of this man’s life. He probably had to face some difficult split-moment decisions as a youth. “My parents are not home,” he might have heard at a friend’s house. “Let’s get a beer from the refrigerator.” Or maybe on the bus while on a field trip, “We all have already tasted it. Now it is your turn.”

For you, alcohol might sneak up on you during a family gathering, a school field trip, or even a sporting event. These scenarios are more difficult to avoid.

So, how should you respond when confronted with alcohol?

First of all, have an action plan! If you mentally prepare your response even before you find yourself in a tempting situation, you will be able to more readily handle the temptation.

Your response should always be something like, “No, I don’t drink.” Once you decline, leave the situation, and tell your parents as soon as you can.

One way to minimize tempting situations is to avoid unorganized social activities. In these circumstances, the principle “idle hands are the devil’s playground” applies. If you just spend time with other teenagers with no clear purpose, chances are that something like experimentation with alcohol will occur.

Explore creative alternatives to idle social activities. For instance, there are multiple ways to develop your talents, personality and social skills while participating in individual, family or collective youth activities.

Local or school libraries offer many resources on how to organize a productive gathering with friends. They are also filled with thousands of wholesome books to expand your knowledge about the world. Also, your local congregation likely offers opportunities for teenage participation.

Consider organizing an entertainment night with different board games. Go bowling or play a round of miniature golf. Hike along an interesting nature trail.

Ambassador Youth Camp and the Feast of Tabernacles provide additional opportunities for fellowship with others learning God’s Way. You can also participate in or help organize fundraising events to assist the Work. All of these would be environments generally free from the allure of alcohol.

Though rare, there can be teenagers in the Church who are on the wrong track. If they offer you alcohol, the answer should always be the same: “No!” If such a situation arises, tell your parents immediately.

Develop Your Character!

Resisting alcohol is just one way your character will be tested growing up. Smoking cigarettes or marijuana, experimenting with other illicit drugs, and engaging in reckless sexual behavior are similar enticements you might also confront.

A natural response when tempted is to think that the feeling is strange or uncommon. You may wonder if you are the only one who faces temptation.

Realize: “There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man” (I Cor. 10:13). In other words, all teenagers seeking to live God’s Way face similar trials. Rely on each other for strength and encouragement!

Recall the first part of Ephesians 5:18 where alcohol abuse is contrasted with being “filled with the Spirit.” Recognize that as a youth in the Church, you are in the process of preparing to one day be baptized and receive God’s Spirit. Each time you resist alcohol or any other temptation, you are taking a step in the right direction by developing a form of temperance or self-control—a necessary part of building character.

Notice further how character development is connected to resisting temptations: “And every man that strives for the mastery [pushes himself to achieve] is temperate [exercises self-restraint] in all things” (I Cor. 9:25).

In short, character is knowing what is right and wrong, actively choosing what is right, and doing it against resistance.

Be thankful that you can better prepare yourself to one day receive and be led by God’s Spirit. You are not alone during your struggle as a teenager.

Speak to your parents, minister or friends about the temptations you face. Also, the Bible is filled with many encouraging examples, such as Joseph, who faced and overcame similar enticements.

Abusing alcohol will destroy your future potential, but resisting the temptation to use it now will build you up and make you stronger.

Now it is up to you. What will you choose to do?