Underage Drinking

Summary

Alcohol is the most widely misused substance among America’s youth. Drinking by young people has big health and safety risks. It is dangerous because it:

• Causes many deaths and injuries
• Can lead to poor decisions about engaging in risky behavior, such as drinking and driving or unprotected sex
• Increases the risk of physical and sexual assault
• Can lead to other problems, such as trouble in school
• May interfere with brain development
• Increases the risk of alcohol problems later in life

Kids often begin drinking to look “cool” or fit in with their peers. Parents can help their kids avoid alcohol problems. Open communication and conversations about drinking are important. So is being involved in your child’s life. Get help for your child if you suspect a drinking problem.

NIH: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Statistics and Research

• A Day in the Life of American Adolescents: Substance Use Facts Update Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• College Drinking National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Start Here

• Alcohol Nemours Foundation
• Answering Questions about Underage Drinking Federal Trade Commission
• Fall Semester — A Time for Parents To Discuss the Risks of College Drinking National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
• Make a Difference: Talk to Your Child about Alcohol National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
• Underage Drinking National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
• Underage Drinking Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Children

• Alcohol Nemours Foundation

Teenagers

• Binge Drinking Nemours Foundation
• Dealing with Addiction (For Teens) Nemours Foundation

Diagnosis and Tests

• Blood Alcohol Level National Library of Medicine

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Alcohol and Youth National Institutes of Health

Prevention and Risk Factors

• College Drinking – Changing the Culture National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
• I’m Worried My Kids Will Start Drinking. What Can I Do? Nemours Foundation

Find an Expert

• FindTreatment.gov Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
• Partnership to End Addiction Partnership to End Addiction

Related Issues

• Parents — Talk with Your High School Grads about Celebrating Safely National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Journal Articles

• Underage Drinking

Patient Handouts

• Risks of underage drinking Medical Encyclopedia
• Talking to your teen about drinking Medical Encyclopedia

Treatments and Therapies

• Substance Abuse Treatment for Children and Adolescents: Questions to Ask American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry