Underage Drinking

Alcohol use by children, adolescents, and young adults under the age of 21 years is one of the top public health concerns in the United States. In fact, research has shown that nearly half of all eighth grade students in this country have had at least one drink, while nearly 30% of all 12th graders report drinking at least three times per month. According to the 2007 Monitoring the Future Survey, approximately 10% of eighth graders and 26% of 12th graders reported drinking five or more drinks consecutively in the previous 2 weeks. Moreover, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reported that the average age adolescents started to drink alcohol was 17V2 years in 1965 compared with an alarming 14 years in 2003. Currently, approximately 3 million U.S. teenagers are alcohol dependent, and at least 1 million more abuse alcohol. College-age students between the ages of 18 and 24 are even more likely to drink and to drink hazardously, with 31% of college students meeting criteria for alcohol abuse and 6% meeting criteria for alcohol dependence. This demographic also accounts for the majority of drinking-related negative consequences, with nearly 600,000 college students suffering unintentional injuries each year as a result of their alcohol use, while many more are involved in assaults, drunk driving, sexual abuse, unsafe sex, property damage, legal problems, and academic problems stemming from their alcohol consumption. Furthermore, over 1,700 college students die each year from alcohol-related incidents. Unfortunately, for each message sent to U.S. youth about the dangers of alcohol use, other messages are sent through the popular media glorifying excessive drinking. Further complicating the issue is that alcohol is the most widely available mind-altering substance and has quickly become the drug of choice among U.S. youth.