Which is entirely normal...because they
aren't.
From Duke University:
Memory Loss in Young People
For young people, the detrimental effects of alcohol seem to outweigh any health positives. In the first human study to assess alcohol's effects on memory in young adults, researchers at Duke and the Durham VA Medical Center found that just two drinks can dampen the ability of college-age students to learn and remember new information.
According to Duke neuropsychologist Scott Swartzwelder, PhD, alcohol disrupts a key process within the hippocampus, the portion of the brain responsible for building long-term memories, much more powerfully in the young brain than in the adult brain.
Just as dangerous is the trouble young people can get into while under alcohol’s influence. According to another study coauthored by Swartzwelder, significant numbers of college students, especially young women, experience regular or sporadic memory “blackouts” during evenings of heavy drinking, which are associated with highly risky behaviors. These activities, such as having unprotected sexual intercourse, vandalizing property, or driving a car, could lead to serious health or legal consequences.
“Alcohol consumption is often viewed tolerantly as a rite of passage, but the hazards it poses are too significant to be ignored,” Swartzwelder says. He and his colleagues hope that sobering study results like these will lead to more intensive education for incoming college students about the dangers of alcohol.
Bottoms Up? - DukeHealth.org
From the NIH:
The association between alcohol use and risky behavior applies to sexual behaviors, as well. The consequences of such behaviors can include rape, transmission of diseases, unwanted pregnancies, and birth defects. Surveys of young people show an association between alcohol use and engaging in risky sexual behaviors. Among boys, 17 percent said that they were less likely to use condoms when having sex after drinking. Alcohol use also correlates with increased risk of forced sexual activity. In one study of Massachusetts teenagers, 44 percent said they were more likely to engage in sexual intercourse if they had been drinking.
Understanding Alcohol—Information about Alcohol
And:
The perception of risk, risk taking, acting on impulse, and sensation-seeking behaviors are all affected by alcohol use. Among males, higher levels of drinking lead to increased risk-taking behaviors. One study revealed that among a group of adults who came to the emergency room for alcohol-related injuries, three-fourths admitted to not using seat belts. Adolescents who drink are more likely to report that they engage in risky behaviors such as swimming alone or taking someone else’s medication.