We know more now about how alcohol impacts the developing brain and the real consequences of underage drinking.
Alcohol kills 6.5 times more youth in this country than all other illegal drugs combined.[i] [ii]
Having designated drivers or taking away the car keys doesn’t make underage drinking safe: Only one-third of underage drinking deaths involve auto crashes. The remaining two-thirds involve alcohol poisoning, homicides, suicides, and unintentional injuries such as burns, drowning, and falls. [iii]
Underage drinking is NOT an inevitable "rite of passage." Contrary to popular belief, most kids don’t drink. In Portland, anonymous student surveys show that the majority of teens--including 62% of 10th graders and 49% of 12th graders—have not consumed alcohol during the past 30 days. (2006 Maine Youth Drug and Alcohol Use Survey - MYDAUS)
Alcohol impacts a youth differently than an adult because the adolescent brain is still developing. When adolescents consume alcohol, their brain development is damaged with both short-term and long-term effects. [iv]
Because the adolescent brain is still developing, it is also very vulnerable to addiction. Young people who begin drinking before age 17 are twice as likely to develop alcohol dependence as those who begin drinking at age 21. Those who begin by age 15 are more than four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence.[v]
In 2005, underage drinking cost the state of Maine more than $107 million in direct damages. [vi]
Risk for academic failure and dropping out of school.[vii]
Depression.[vii]
Suicide.[vii]
Sexual assault, rape, and other violence.[vii]
Teen pregnancy.[vii]
Sexually transmitted infections and diseases.[vii]
Other drug abuse, including marijuana, tobacco, and prescription pills.[vii]
The 21 minimum drinking age is one of the most successful public safety and public health policies in United States history. Since the minimum drinking age was changed to 21 in 1984, deaths from drinking and driving accidents have decreased by thousands, saving an estimated 20,000 lives. [viii]
Countries with lower minimum drinking ages have more problems with teen drinking. For example, according to data collected from 15- and 16-year-olds in 35 European countries, European kids actually drink more often, drink more heavily and get drunk more often than American teens. [ix]
Even though we tend to think of young people as naturally rebellious, research shows that the great majority of kids respond best to clear rules—-Both from their parents and society at large. For example, studies show that underage youth are significantly less likely to drink alcohol when they believe they’ll be caught by police. They’re even less likely to drink alcohol when they believe their parents think it would be very wrong for them to do so. [x]
Alcohol is everywhere, and it’s far too easy for kids to get. In Portland, 30% of middle school students report that alcohol is easy to get. By high school, 61% of students report that alcohol is easy to get. (MYDAUS 2006)
Youth are getting the wrong message from adults. In Portland, only 60% of 8th graders, 43% of 10th graders and 36% of 12th graders believe adults think it’s “very wrong” for them to drink. (MYDAUS 2006)
We need to speak loudly if we want our voices heard. The alcohol industry spends more than $5 billion in advertising each year, including ads and product placement in television, movies, magazines, radio, internet, sporting events and team sponsorships, and points-of-purchase. [xi]
Underage drinking is a problem that impacts every member of our society, and it is the collective responsibility of ALL of us to take action.
We all have a reason to get involved in keeping youth safe. …What's your reason?
Whatever your reason is, please join us now. It will take all of us to make a difference.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [i] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Public Health Service. National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Ninth Special Report to the U.S. Congress on Alcohol and Health, NIH Publication No. 97-4017, 1997. [ii] MMWR, June 28, 2002 / 51(SS04);1-64: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5104a1.htm [iii] Hingson & Kenkel, 2004. Social, health, and economic consequences of underage drinking. In Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility, Background Papers. [iv] Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking, 2007 [v] Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking, 2007 [vi] Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE), October 2006. [vii] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2007: http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/quickstats/underage_drinking.htm [viii] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 2005 [ix] Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 2005. Youth Drinking Rates and Problems: A Comparison of European Countries and the Unites States [x] Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking. 2007 [xi] Federal Trade Commission, Self-Regulation in the Alcohol Industry, Appendix B: Alcohol Advertising Expenditures, iii