Teen Drinking Presents an Excess of Dangers

Each year, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of twenty-one die as a result of underage drinking. This includes about 1,900 deaths from car crashes, 1,600 as a result of homicides, 300 from suicide, as well as hundreds from other injuries such as falls, burns, and drowning. Many minors are suffering the consequences of drinking too much, at too young of an age.

As an outcome, underage drinking is leading to many health problems in this world. In 2003, the usual age for a person’s first use of alcohol was about 14, which changed from 1965, when the age was 17. Whatever it is that leads adolescents to begin drinking, once they start, they face a number of potential health risks.

Studies show that young people who drink heavily may put themselves at risk for a range of possible health problems.

Biological and physiological changes that occur during adolescence may promote risk-taking behavior, leading to early experimentation with alcohol. This behavior then forms the child’s environment, as he or she chooses friends and situations that support further drinking.

Continued drinking may lead to physiological reactions, such as depression or anxiety disorders, causing even greater alcohol use or addiction.

Perhaps the best way to understand and prevent underage alcohol use is to view drinking as it relates to development. Today, alcohol is widely available and aggressively promoted throughout society. Unfortunately, alcohol use continues to be regarded by many people as a normal part of growing up.

Underage drinking is dangerous, not only for the drinker but also for society, as evidenced by the number of alcohol-involved motor vehicle crashes, homicides, suicides, and other injuries. People who begin drinking early in life run the risk of developing serious alcohol problems, including alcoholism, later in life.

They also are at a greater risk for a variety of adverse consequences, including risky sexual activity and poor performance in school, not to mention just making poor choices in general. Identifying adolescents at a greater risk can help stop problems before they develop.