Underage Drinking and its Consequences
...ng age in the United States id 21, the vast majority of Americans youths have experimented with alcohol. Evidence shows that National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (1996). Drinking and driving. Research shows that alcohol drinking is widespread among adolescents. For example, 2002 data from Monitoring the Future, an annual survey of U.S. youth, show that more than three- forth of 12th graders, two-thirds of 10th graders, and nearly half of 8th graders have drank alcohol at some point in their lives. And when youth drink, they tend to drink heavy. Underage drinkers between the ages of 12 and 17 consume on an average 4 to 5 drinks per occasion, about 5 times a month. By comparison, adult drinkers aged 26 and older consume on an average2 to 3 drinks per occasion, about 9 times a month (NIAAA, 2004). “According to NIAAA a recent brain imaging study has shown structural difference in the brain of 17-year olds being treated for alcohol dependence as compared with the brain of those who are not alcohol dependent. Specifically, the hippocampus a part of the brain important for learning and memory was smaller in alcohol dependent participants than it was in nondependent participants” (“using NIAAA,” 2004). Acute consequence of underage drinking include unintentional death and injury associated with driving or engaging in other risky tasks after drinking, homicide and violence suici...