Alcohol, when consumed too often and/or in large quantities, can be a dangerous drug. Drinking too much can have a range of physical consequences, from hangovers and blackouts to alcohol poisoning and death. It can also negatively impact your life by feeding depression and harming relationships.
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LGBT people are particularly at risk. One study in San Diego found that 75% of LGBT people said that the coming-out process and lack of self-esteem were problems that contributed to drug and alcohol problems in the LGBT community.1
This can be especially be true for LGBT youth, who sometimes see drinking as a way into LGBT culture. Only recently have researchers begun to recognize the serious consequences that drinking may have on brain development, given new data proving that the human brain isn’t fully developed until age 25. One thing we know for sure is that heavy drinking and other forms of substance abuse during adolescence increase the likelihood of experiencing psychological problems later in life.2