(New Philadelphia, Ohio) – Despite some misconceptions, allow your teens to drink does not teach them moderation, it teaches them that you’re okay with them drinking.
This informational series is brought to you by the Tuscarawas County Anti-Drug Coalition.
According to numerous statistics across multiple credible sources, drinking underage has been proven to contribute to a lifetime of health problems, including alcohol-use-disorder.
According to the Prevention Action Alliance, Alcohol is the number 1 drug used by teens. It has an outsized influence and effect on young people. While youth aren’t legally able to buy or consume alcohol, they consume 11 percent of all alcohol in the U.S. They also drink more alcohol per drinking occasion than adults do.
Young people are also heavily affected by alcohol. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, alcohol is a factor in an average 4,358 annual deaths of young people under 21. Those deaths come in the form of car crashes, homicides, suicide, alcohol poisoning, falls, burns, and drowning. Additionally, SAMHSA found that 188,000 people under 21 visited the emergency room for alcohol-related injuries in 2011.
Young people who drink are also likely to have other problems. They’re more likely to carry out or be the victim of a physical or sexual assault after drinking, may have trouble in school or with the law, and have problems with alcohol later in life. Alcohol is also known to alter brain development and may cause cognitive or learning problems when people drink heavily and at a young age.
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