Is it worth it?

It is the most used and most abused mood-altering substance among pre-teens and teenaged children Some studies suggest there could be as many as 4 million alcoholics under the age of 18

The age when children begin drinking alcohol has decreased over the last few decades Many children are already experimenting with alcohol in the 5 th grade. Ten years ago, teens were more likely to start experimenting in 8 th or 9 th grade.

Alcohol has a greater effect on cognitive development at a young age. Students who use alcohol remember much less of their academic work than those who do not use alcohol.

A government study published in 2007 shows a relationship between binge drinking and grades. Approximately two-thirds of students with “mostly A’s” are non-drinkers, while nearly half of the students with “mostly D’s and F’s” report binge drinking. It is not clear, however, whether academic failure leads to drinking, or vice versa.

Statistics clearly show that the younger a child is when he or she begins drinking, the more likely they are to develop problems with alcohol as adults. The media plays a big role-if children view alcohol in a positive light, they are more likely to drink at a young age.

Children who start drinking at a young age are more likely to experiment later with illegal drugs. Approximately 66% of youths who drank alcohol heavily in the past month were also past month users of illicit drugs.

Car crashes are the leading cause of death among people ages 15 to 20. About 1,900 people under 21 die every year from car crashes involving underage drinking.

Alcohol use interacts with conditions like depression and stress, and contributes to an estimated 300 teen suicides a year. High school students who drink are twice as likely to have seriously considered attempting suicide, as compared to nondrinkers. High school students who binge drink are four times as likely to have attempted suicide, as compared to nondrinkers.

Higher drinking levels increase the likelihood of sexual activity. Current teen drinkers are more than twice as likely to have had sexual intercourse within the past three months than teens who don't drink. Adolescents who drink are more likely to engage in risky sexual activities, like having sex with someone they don't know or failing to use birth control.

Is it worth it?

Adolescent Substance Abuse Knowledge Base abuse.com/index.html We Don’t Serve Teens ers.html