Start A Do Something Club!
Grab 4 or more friends and take action in your community! We'll give you tons of resources to help you get started and easy project ideas to make a difference at your school. More
11 Facts About Alcohol Abuse
- Every year, more than 5,000 deaths of people under age 21 are linked to underage drinking.
- Alcohol is a leading factor in automobile crashes, homicides, and suicides – the three leading causes of death for people aged 15 to 24.
- 19.6% of eighth graders have drank within the last thirty days.
- Americans begin drinking regularly at an average age of 15.9 years.
- Teens who begin drinking before age 15 are five times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who begin drinking at age 21.
- 17.6 million Americans either abuse alcohol or are alcohol-dependent.
- An estimated three million teenagers are alcoholics, and several million more have a serious drinking problem they can’t manage on their own.
- Alcohol problems are highest among young adults ages 18-29.
- In 2007, underage drinkers consumed 14.5% of the alcohol sold in the U.S., spending $24.2 billion in sales.
- In the same year, underage drinking cost the citizens of the U.S. $68 billion in medical care, work loss, and pain and suffering.
- Underage drinking plays a significant role in risky sexual behavior, such as unwanted, unintended, and unprotected sexual activity. This behavior increases the risk for unplanned pregnancy and STDs.
Sources:
Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center
The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
