Alcohol poses special risks to young adults.

Byline: STRAIGHT STUFF By Jerry Gjesvold For The Register-Guard

When it comes to our children, our society wavers between two points of view. We want our sons and daughters to stay innocent as long as possible, free of the heavy responsibilities they'll soon have. At the same time, we sometimes see them as young adults. They do and say things so mature that we forget how young they really are.

Any parent will tell you that the tension between these extremes is strongest in the teen years. Not yet adults, adolescents want to be treated like grownups before they are actually grown up. This is especially true during prom and graduation season, and especially concerning alcohol and other drugs.

It's so important that we firmly, consistently and calmly say no to any desire they may have to celebrate excessively. As responsible as young people may sometimes seem, they are still developing emotionally and physically well into their 20s. That means there are at least two serious dangers when it comes to drugs and alcohol.

First is the danger of bad judgment calls. While young people today are more worldly than ever, they don't have much experience on which to base their decisions. Peer influence - not always responsible - is also most intense during this time of a person's life.

Adolescents, new at drinking, don't know how a given substance will affect them, and in what quantities. Of course, adults misjudge too, but young people make more mistakes. And where intoxicants are concerned, the margin of error can be very small.

The other danger is physical. It's easy to forget that alcohol and other drugs affect a young person differently - much more powerfully - than adults. One obvious reason for this is physical size. The effects of drugs, particularly alcohol, depend on the weight of the person, and most young people are smaller than adults.

But the risk literally runs deeper than this. Because of the biochemistry of adolescence, alcohol is actually more toxic to young people than it is to their adult counterparts. On top of that, many young people are now taking regular medications. Some can be dangerous when combined with alcohol or other drugs.

Occasionally, the media will carry sad stories that demonstrate what I'm talking about. Every prom and graduation season, teenagers are killed in alcohol-related auto accidents. Poor judgment and inexperience turn fatal. No one ever wants to see that happen.

In another recent situation, a teenage girl had passed out from drinking too much. Her friends put her to bed to sleep it off. While the rest of her friends kept partying, she quietly died from alcohol poisoning. She was killed by the combination of lack of experience and too much alcohol for her young body.

I don't want to put a cloud over the season. It's time for celebration - for recognizing the real achievements that our young people have made in their schools and communities. It's a time of year when adults can proudly see their children making another step into adulthood.

In the midst of all that, it's so important to remember that our sons and daughters aren't finished growing up, no matter how they seem. The risks from alcohol and other drugs really are that much greater to them. Recognizing this truth, we'll have a better chance of limiting the danger to these young people so important to us - and have a joyful prom and graduation season.

The opinions expressed in this column are those of the writer. As Serenity Lane's statewide coordinator of employer services, Jerry Gjesvold helps companies across Oregon create and manage their drug-free workplace policies and programs. More information is available on the Serenity Lane Web site at www.serenitylane .org.

Of course, adults misjudge too, but young people make more mistakes. And where intoxicants are concerned, the margin of error can be very small.