Underage Drinking

Underage drinking

What is underage drinking? Underage drinking is when a person under the age of 21 consumes alcohol, which is illegal by law in the United States. Underage drinking can start as early as 11 years old but the average age is 14. Underage drinking usually starts as a way to raise their social status or to fit in with others. After a while teens stop drinking just to be cool and use it to relieve stress and to get away from their problems. At around 15.9 years old most teens begin drinking on a regular basis. What starts as pure fun can lead to addiction and dependence on alcohol. Underage drinking can also lead to drunk driving, suicide, and homicide. Alcohol is the drug of choice among teens many who are experiencing the consequences of drinking too much, at too early an age. As a result, underage drinking is a leading public health problem in this country.

Every year 5,000 teens die as a result of underage drinking. Drunk driving causes 1,900 of those deaths. 60% of all teen deaths are in car accidents that are alcohol related. About every 60 minutes a teen in the United States is killed because of drunk driving. Twenty-eight percent of 15- to 20-year-old drivers who were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2005 had been drinking. Underage drinking can lead to the interruption of proper development of hormonal growth. Underage drinking can also cause liver damage in some cases.

Underage drinking in an overall view is a dangerous thing disguised as something that appeals to teens as a way of having fun. The media and alcohol industries have many things that attract young people like sweetly flavored drinks or provoking commercials just like cigarettes. The temptation to drink alcohol nowadays is really high which is probably why the number of teens who drink is so high. Most teens do not see the consequences of drinking and they usually have to learn it the hard way to finally get