Dangers of Youth Alcohol Consumption

For decades, articles and studies have attested to the negative effects of drinking on the human body. As the brain is not fully developed until 25, any excessive use of substances has been found to potentially inflict severe damage on a young brain. Since then, we have seen ever-increasing age restrictions on the legal drinking age to help mitigate these effects. However, despite these restrictions, youth around the world, whether through fake IDs, unknowing adults, or the aid of family and friends, regularly purchase and consume alcoholic drinks. Many of those underage who drink are ignorant of the damages it can cause. It is critical to inform teens and youth around the world about the dangers of drinking throughout their lifetime, but especially when they are underage.

There are numerous reasons why teens may drink, be it for pleasure, social acceptance, or, most worryingly, stress. Today’s youth are more stressed than ever before, thanks to a strict academic environment and the turbulence of social media. It is critical that throughout one's teenage years, they develop healthy coping mechanisms to help them go through the stress with a positive mindset, one which they can apply to numerous other areas of their life. While it may seem far easier to simply reach for a bottle or glass of alcohol, the effects this has on one’s future are far-reaching. The issue of underage drinking is also not specific to a certain social group. A study conducted by the CDC reported that over a 30 day period, 29% of high school students had drunk alcohol, 14% of them having binge-drunk. Furthermore, due to their judgment being impaired by drinking 5% had chosen to drive after consuming alcohol. and 17% have been in a car with an intoxicated driver. The percentage of drinkers was slightly higher for females, and meaningfully higher - 33.9% - for those who identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual, perhaps as a result of the increased stress coming with the many social debates surrounding such groups. The CDC also demonstrated that the risk of developing an alcohol addiction is greater for those who drink in their youth.

Heightened drinking ages have done much to help combat this. A report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration conducted in 2019 states that the increase in the minimum legal drinking age has saved an estimated 31,959 lives since its enactment in 1975. While this has had a positive impact, underage drinking in nations around the world remains prevalent. The same report also noted the 4,300 annual deaths of youth under the age of 21, due to the use of alcohol. While we highlight that it is often that people begin to drink within their teenage years, the study pointed out an extremely critical fact stating that of those who began to drink underage, 15% of them did so before they even reached 13 years old. A report carried out by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health in 2021 surveyed 3.2 million people between ages 12 and 20, 613,000 of whom reported heavy alcohol use in that past month.

Another reason alcohol can be so dangerous is how easily accessible it is. Many adolescents have grown up seeing their parents or family members drink in social settings, which may soften them to the idea of alcohol consumption and blind them to its dangers at their age. Other addictive substances like marijuana and tobacco simply aren’t as readily available. The aforementioned report, along with the numbers on heavy alcohol use, showed that youth engage in alcohol consumption significantly more than they use tobacco or marijuana.

Youth who consume alcohol underage can often feel alone or isolated; for them to properly manage their habits and consumption, they need a safe place or a trusted person that they can come and talk to, who will educate them as to why the actions that they are partaking in may not be safe for them, and be there to help them rather than to scold them. Through a trusted adult, kids can learn the importance of having a designated driver, never drinking alone, and other habits to help manage alcohol. If they feel like they have a person who will listen to them and who they can confide in, they are more likely to speak the truth about their actions without the fear of harsh judgment or being ridiculed by their elders. Teens 4 Teens strives to build a loving, responsible community of teenagers around the world who can rely on one another, in which they feel welcomed and that they won't be judged for their mistakes, but honored and recognized for their talents. This support system extends to alcohol and other substances, and we hope that the work we do can help educate, inform, and maintain awareness among teenagers about the dangers of alcohol.

References:

“Underage Drinking.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 26 Oct. 2022, www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/underage-drinking.htm.

Underage Drinking Starts Early Prevention Works! - Substance Abuse And ..., store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/pep21-03-10-008.pdf. Accessed 5 Aug. 2023.

“Underage Drinking in the United States (Ages 12 to 20).” National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/alcohol-topics/alcohol-facts-and-statistics/underage-drinking-united-states-ages-12-20. Accessed 5 Aug. 2023.

“Get the Facts about Underage Drinking.” National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/underage-drinking. Accessed 5 Aug. 2023.

Published by Statista Research Department, and Jun 14. “Binge Drinking among High School Students by Sex U.S. 2021.” Statista, 14 June 2023, www.statista.com/statistics/222512/us-students-who-participated-in-binge-drinking-by-gender-and-ethnicity/.