Do you wonder if your teen may be drinking alcohol? So many things tempt teens to try alcohol that more than half of underage youth have tried it. Forty-four percent of eighth graders have tried alcohol and 20 percent of eighth graders have been drunk at least once.¹ How can you make sure that you, not alcohol, are your teen’s strongest influence?

Teens are “trying,” “drinking,” and “binging.” Almost 20 percent of teens have taken part in binge drinking in the past month.² Binge drinking is defined as drinking alcohol that raises your blood alcohol concentration to 0.08 percent or more in 2 hours or less.³ A 0.08 level is equal to about five or more drinks for an adult male and four or more drinks for an adult female.

Helping your child make healthy decisions about alcohol is a year-round job. When teens drink alcohol, they risk their chances for a bright future. Teens who drink alcohol more often report bad grades than those who do not drink and are much more likely to drop out of high school.

Even more, alcohol can contribute to problems like:

• Memory loss
• Depression
• Behavior problems
• Teen pregnancy
• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Physical violence or abuse—either self-inflicted, among other peers, or with someone a teen is dating.

Teens who drink alcohol have a high risk of having an alcohol-related injury, including the risk of being in a deadly car accident. Teens who use alcohol also tend to have more suicidal thoughts, which often means more suicide attempts.

Alcohol has a strong pull for kids who face peer pressure and the desire to be liked. Therefore, parents and caregivers must be a strong influence in their teens’ lives and help their teens know they are loved and valued. Our goal every day should be to use the tools and power we have now to help end underage drinking and, possibly, save a life.

Sources

¹Johnston, L. D., O’Malley, P. M., Bachman, J. G., & Schulenberg, J. E. (2005). Monitoring the Future National Results on Adolescent Drug Use: Overview of Key Findings, 2004. Bethesda MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse. http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/pressreleases/04drugpr_complete.pdf, last referenced 11/29/05.

²Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Results from the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings, http://www.drugabusestatistics.samhsa.gov/nsduh.... last referenced 11/29/05.

³National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Alcohol Alert. No. 37. July 1997. http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa37.htm, last referenced 11/29/05.

Additional Resources:

• Center for Media Literacy
• Maryland Underage Drinking Prevention Coalition
• National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information