Author: Gary Jackson

Preventing Underage Drinking with Community Strategies Alcohol Use

These strategies can effectively lower alcohol-related harms for everyone, including people younger than 21. Young people who use alcohol are more likely to be sexually active at earlier ages, to have sexual intercourse more often, and to have unprotected sex. Parents and teachers can play a meaningful role in shaping youth’s attitudes toward drinking. Parents, in particular, can have either a positive or negative influence.

  1. If you are a parent, it’s crucial to talk to your children about alcohol and other substances.
  2. If needed, don’t hesitate to seek treatment for your child’s mental health or a substance abuse problem.
  3. Drinking lowers inhibitions and increases the chances that children will engage in risky behavior or do something that they will regret when they are sober.
  4. Often, this conversation can lead to a discussion about the risks and negative effects of alcohol.
  5. Screening by a primary care provider or other health practitioner (e.g., pediatrician) provides an opportunity to identify problems early and address them before they escalate.

Alcohol: Underage Drinking

Frequent binge drinkers (nearly 1 million high school students nationwide) are more likely to engage in risky behaviors, including using other drugs such as marijuana and cocaine. The percentage of pure alcohol, expressed here as alcohol by volume (alc/vol), varies within and across beverage types. Although the standard drink amounts are helpful for following health guidelines, they may not reflect customary serving sizes. A large cup of beer, an overpoured glass of wine, or a single mixed drink could contain much more alcohol than a standard drink. Either directly or indirectly, we all feel the effects of the aggressive behavior, property damage, injuries, violence, and deaths that can result from underage drinking.

Children or teenagers start drinking for many reasons, such as stress or major life transitions. If you are a parent, talk with your children about the risks of alcohol consumption. Young people who drink alcohol are more likely to engage in risky behaviors that can lead to injuries and other health conditions. They’re also more likely to experience social, academic, and legal issues. Underage drinking is when someone under the legal drinking age consumes alcohol. Teenagers may drink because of peer pressure or stress or as a coping mechanism.

Special Health Reports

A teenager’s drinking habits may reflect the drinking habits of the adults around them. For example, adolescents are more likely to drink when their parents binge drink. A 5% increase in adult binge drinking leads to a 12% increase in the chances that the children or teenagers around them will drink. Teenagers who drink are more likely to suffer from alcohol poisoning, have social problems or engage in violence.

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Underage drinking occurs when someone under the legal drinking age consumes alcohol. Young people who drink are more likely to have health issues such as depression and anxiety disorders. Lastly, people who start drinking earlier in life have a higher risk of developing alcohol use disorder later in life. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Alcohol Use

Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Excessive alcohol use can harm people who drink and those around them. You and your community can take steps to improve everyone’s health and quality of life. Screening youth for alcohol use and AUD is very important and may prevent problems down the road. Screening by a primary care provider or other health practitioner (e.g., pediatrician) provides an opportunity to identify problems early and address them before they escalate. NIAAA and the American Academy of Pediatrics both recommend that all youth be regularly screened for alcohol use.

Talk to your teens about alcohol and its effects — all of them. Make sure they have the facts.

Children who use alcohol have higher rates of academic problems and poor school performance compared with nondrinkers.

Underage drinking is linked with binge drinking and alcohol poisoning and can even lead to death. Ask open-ended questions, such as why your child is interested in drinking. Often, this conversation can lead to a discussion about the risks and negative effects of alcohol.

What is binge drinking?

Ask your healthcare provider for program or counseling recommendations. A professional counselor can offer the best services to help your child stop misusing alcohol. As children grow into teenagers, they often experience challenging physical and emotional changes.