Underage Drinking

Underage drinking refers to the consumption of beverage alcohol… by persons 20 years of age and younger (responsibility.org). Underage drinking has become a larger problem in our society,it has increased over these past years in our community. Alcohol seems to be the leading cause of death among youth.  In 2011 the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that 25% of youth aged 12 to 20 years drink alcohol and 16% reported binge drinking (SAMHSA).

Many of underage drinkers have an easy way of getting access to alcohol beverages. Many use older friends, siblings, and adults to buy alcohol. Alcohol is one of the easiest drugs to get access to; it is everywhere we go, to restaurants, to family parties and at home. That is why many adolescents prefer the use of alcohol over other drugs because of the price and its accessibility.

In 2010, there were approximately 189,000 emergency rooms visits by persons under age 21 for injuries and other conditions linked to alcohol (SAMHSA).

Many of adolescences don’t see the negative effects that alcohol can cause. It causes several problems for teens and causes them to make negative decisions. Alcohol simply destroys lives of teens, it has been reported that people who started to drink before the age of 15 were four times more likely to also report meeting the criteria for alcohol dependence in their lives (Clark, D.B).     

The way to cause a decrease in underage drinking would be to inform parents/ guardians to talk to their child and teens about the dangers of alcohol. Teens are also influence by their parents, if they see a parent drink alcohol they might feel that it might be okay if they try some too. Taking steps to talk to teens might seem difficult but it is better than receiving a call the police saying your child has just been detained for underage drinking. Informing teens about the dangers about alcohol might make them think twice before taking a drink of alcohol.