Teenage Alcohol

Alcohol is the most commonly used addictive substance among high school students. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse’s at Columbia University (CASA), 2011 study on teens and substance abuse states that almost three-quarters (72.5%) of high school students have had a drink. Four in ten (41.8 percent) are current drinkers. Teens tend to drink less frequently than adults, but when they do drink they drink larger amounts. Furthermore, The younger and more often teens drink, the more likely they are to engage in other substance use and the higher their risk of developing an alcohol use disorder or to engage in other high risk activities.

It is difficult to imagine that a single behavior by teens as a group can lead to death, but nearly 10% of all teenage drinkers indulge in binge drinking, defined as having five or more drinks in a row. Binge drinking can lead to alcohol poisoning and even death. The National Center for Health Statistics found in 2005 that more than 150 people ages 18-23 died from alcohol poisoning between the years of 1999 and 2004. Of this group, the state of Texas had the most deaths, with 18 individuals in this age group dying from alcohol poisoning.

And alcohol poisoning is not the only cause of premature death among teenagers due to substance use, nor is it the largest cause of teenage drug use death. According to an NIAAA study first published in 2006, of the 5,000 youths under 21 years old dying each year in alcohol-related fatalities, nearly 2,000 of them are results of underage drinking and driving.

Teens are influenced by advertising, parents and their friends and this has a great effect on whether or not they will engage in drinking and at what age they will start. Studies show that if a parent drinks then their child is more likely to drink. It is important for the parent to be responsible about their drinking behavior and to set a good example for their children. Peer pressure is of great concern, since the teens years are a time when children want to fit in with their peer group. Teens can be pressured into drinking alcohol by their friends who might threaten them or make them feel left out if they don’t take part in drinking.

Teenage drinking and substance abuse is higher in urban areas when compared to suburban and rural areas. The possible reasons for this are that there are more stores selling alcohol, and more alcohol ads. Urban communities are often more concerned with gang activity and other serious problems that the idea of teen drinking does not get the attention and prevention that is deserves.