Despite massive public education efforts, alcohol is the drug of choice for an increasing number of America's teenage population:
� A national survey revealed that 88% of U.S. high school seniors have tried alcohol at least once, as have 82% of tenth graders and 69% of eighth graders. Twenty-eight percent (28%), 21%, and 13% of the students, respectively, admitted to binge drinking (five or more drinks in a row on one occasion) in the two weeks before the survey. The survey also found that 1 in 30 high school seniors were drinking daily.
� Students frequently use alcohol for the first time before or during early adolescence. A retrospective report among students who have used alcohol indicated that 11% had their first drink by sixth grade, 38% by eighth grade, and 60% by ninth grade. Between 4% and 9% of eighth, tenth, and twelfth graders admit to having been drunk by the sixth grade.
� One out of three fourth graders believes that drinking is a "big problem" in their age group. About one out of seven fourth graders have already consumed alcohol to the point of intoxication.
� Among sixth graders, four out of ten say there is pressure from other students to drink alcohol.
� Sixty-six percent (66%) of teenagers who drink have purchased their own alcoholic beverages.
Why Teenagers Drink
Teenage alcohol use and abuse are primarily shaped by family and peer influences, personality characteristics, and socio-demographic factors. Because alcohol is a legal drug for adults and is found in many homes, it is often the first drug most young people try. It has also been suggested that teenagers use alcohol to satisfy urges of curiosity, rebellion, risk taking and wanting to fit in. 10 In addition, many teenagers drink because it makes them "feel good" and helps them forget their problems and deal with stress. Nearly 50% in one survey said they get drunk because they have nothing better to do. It has also been found that teenagers with alcoholic parents are more likely to use and abuse alcohol themselves. Approximately one in four children of alcoholics will develop alcoholism.
Drinking affects teens in many areas of their lives, and its implications are reflected in many ongoing societal problems:
Youth and Alcohol: A Deadly Mix
� Excessive alcohol consumption causes more than 100,000 deaths annually in the United States.
� Alcohol-related car accidents are the number one cause of death for teenagers.
� 29.5% of teenagers who use alcohol and are of driving age report driving under the influence of alcohol within the previous month. This behavior is more prevalent among males (34.7%) than females (24.2%) and increases with age. Similarly, about one-third of teenagers ride in cars with drivers who have consumed alcohol.
� Teenage alcohol consumption is also associated with homicides, suicides, and drownings - the other three leading causes of death among teenagers.
� Sexuality and drinking -- Researchers have associated drinking with early sexual activity and, as a result, with unintended teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. When teenagers mix sex with alcohol, those who average five or more drinks daily are nearly three times less likely to use condoms, thus placing them at greater risk for sexually transmitted diseases. Alcohol use is also implicated in one- to two-thirds of sexual assault and acquaintance or "date" rape cases among teens and college students. A survey of high school students found that 18% of females and 39% of males say it is acceptable for a boy to force sex on a girl if she is stoned or drunk.
� Grades -- A clear relationship exists between alcohol use and grade-point average among college students: students with GPA's of D or F drink three times as much as those who earn A's.
� Alcoholism -- Youth who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who begin drinking at age 21. More than 43% of teenagers who began drinking before age 14 later became alcoholics.
� A "gateway" drug -- Alcohol consumption is often considered a gateway to the use of illegal substances like marijuana. Youth who drink are 7.5 times more likely to use other illicit drugs and 50 times more likely to use cocaine than young people who never drink.
� Health -- Alcohol used on its own, or in combination with other drugs, can retard the normal growth and development of young people. The symptoms of alcohol abuse in teenagers can be subtle. Medical consequences of alcohol use typical for adults -- such as gastritis, pancreatitis, hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, hypertension, anemia, and malnutrition -- are uncommon among teenagers. Typical symptoms for teenagers include depression and family and interpersonal problems. When females drink alcohol during pregnancy, they risk having babies with birth defects, such as mental retardation. Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), which occurs when women drink during pregnancy, is the leading known cause of mental retardation in the Western world.