Young Teens and Alcohol: The Risks

For young people, alcohol is the drug of choice. In fact, alcohol is used by more young people than tobacco or illicit drugs. Although most children under age 14 have not yet begun to drink, early adolescence is a time of special risk for beginning to experiment with alcohol.

While some parents and guardians may feel relieved that their teen is "only" drinking, it is still important to remember that alcohol is a powerful, mood-altering drug. Not only does alcohol affect the mind and body in often unpredictable ways, but teens lack the judgement and coping skills to handle alcohol wisely. As a result:

Alcohol-related traffic crashes are a major cause of death among young people. Alcohol use also is linked with teen deaths by drowning, suicide. and homicide. Teens who use alcohol are more likely to be sexually active at earlier ages, to have sexual intercourse more often, and to have unprotected sex than teens who do not drink. Young people who drink are more likely than others to be victims of violent crime, including rape, aggravated assault, and robbery. Teens who drink are more likely to have problems with school work and school conduct. The majority of boys and girls who drink tend to binge when they drink. A person who begins drinking as a young teen is four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than someone who waits until adulthood to use alcohol.

What is binge drinking? The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 percent--or 0.008 grams of alcohol per deciliter--or higher. For a typical adult, this pattern corresponds to consuming 4 or more drinks (female), or 5 or more drinks (male), in about 2 hours. Research shows that fewer drinks in the same timeframe result in the same BAC in youth; only 3 drinks for girls, and 3 to 5 drinks for boys, depending on their age and size.

The message is clear: Alcohol use is unsafe for young people. And the longer children delay alcohol use, the less likely they aren't develop any problems associated with it. That's why it is so important to help your child avoid any alcohol use.