Early abuse of alcohol can lead to alcoholism and it is one of the main causes of alcoholism. Studies have shown that when teenagers are exposed to alcohol in their early lives, they are more likely to be diagnosed with alcoholism in the later years of their life, especially in their 20s and 30s. Alcoholrehabguide.org states, "This is especially true when adolescents engage in frequent binge drinking. While drinking early on can increase the likelihood of alcohol abuse, alcoholism can affect anyone at any age." Each year, about 5,000 people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking. This includes about 1,900 deaths from car crashes, 1,600 from murders, 300 deaths from suicide, also around hundreds of other from injuries such as falls, burns, drownings, etc. Yet drinking still seems to be very popular among teens and young adults as shown by nationwide surveys. Pubs.niaaa.nih.gov states, "According to data from the 2005 Monitoring the Future (MTF) study, an annual survey of kids in the U.S., three-fourths of 12th graders, more than two-thirds of 10th graders, and about two in every five 8th graders have consumed alcohol. And when youth drink they tend to drink in heavy amounts, often consuming around four to five drinks at one time." More MTF data also shows that 11% of 8th graders, 22% of 10th graders, and 29% of 12th graders have been involved in some type of heavy or binge drinking within the past two weeks. There are said to be many factors of why teens are drinking. Some of the main reasons are; risk-taking, the teens personality characteristics, hereditary factors and maybe the most popular one among teens, peer pressure. Some of the consequences of early age drinking, are school problems such as bad grades, fighting or arguing, other substance abuse, early sexual activity, memory loss, and long term brain damage. For more information on early abuse click the "more info" pages.
“Brochures and Fact Sheets.” National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/.
“Underage Drinking.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3 Jan. 2020, www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/underage-drinking.htm.