A Few Facts about Underage Use of Alcohol
29% of
parents and teens know of parents who host teen alcohol parties.
(Source: Parents Who Host, Lose The Most: Don’t be a party to teenage
drinking Evaluation Report, January 2007)
25% of
teens attended a party where alcohol is served to underage youth in the past
two months, while parents thought the number was closer to 15%. 12% of the
youth maintained that they drank alcohol at the party.
(Source: Parents Who Host, Lose The Most: Don’t be a party to teenage
drinking Evaluation Report, January 2007)
68% of
parents and 61% of teens believe that it is generally easy for underage
youth to obtain alcohol.
(Source: Parents Who Host, Lose The Most: Don’t be a party to teenage
drinking Evaluation Report, January 2007)
Every
day, 5,400 young people under 16 have their first drink of alcohol.
(Source: Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth with calculations from
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2004 National
Survey on Drug Use and Health)
Studies
reveal that alcohol consumption by adolescents results in brain damage -
possibly permanent -and impairs intellectual development.
(Source: Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research Volume 24, Number 2
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, February 2000)
Adolescents drink less and have fewer alcohol-related problems when their
parents discipline them consistently and set clear expectations.
(Source: Hawkins JD, Graham JW, Maguin E, et al.
1997 Exploring the effects of age of alcohol use
initiation and psychosocial risk factors on subsequent alcohol misuse.
Journal of Studies on Alcohol. 58(3): 280-290)
When
drinking is delayed until age 21, a child’s risk of serious alcohol problems
is decreased by 70 percent.
(Source: Calculated from information contained in: Grant BF, Dawson DA.
1997, Age at onset of alcohol use and its association with DSM-IV alcohol
abuse and dependence. Results from the National
Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey Journal of Substance Abuse
9:103-110.)
43% of 12th
graders and 25% of 10th graders and in the Issaquah School District
report having drunk a glass, can, or bottle of alcohol in the past 30 days.
2006 Healthy Youth Survey Data
31% of 12th
graders and 43% of 10th graders in the Issaquah School District
report that adults in their neighborhood think youth drinking is “very
wrong”.
2006 Healthy Youth Survey Data