1 IN 5 ADULTS IN IDAHO
ARE ALCOHOLIC OR ADDICTED TO DRUGS.

It’s no surpise, however, when 20% of 12-20 year olds are binge drinking. While many believe that underage drinking is an inevitable “rite of passage” the opposite is true.

Teens who begin drinking before the age of 15 are 5 times more likely to have alcohol problems when they are adults.

New scientific research shows that alcohol affects a teen’s still developing brain differently than an adult brain and can harm brain development, sometimes resulting in long-term and irreversable damage. The younger a person begins drinking, the higher chance they have of becoming addicted. Teens who wait until 21 to drink have a less than 7% chance of ever becoming an alcoholic.

More teens die as a result of alcohol use than all other illegal drugs combined.

Besides the risk of death and permanent brain damage, teens who drink are more likely than non-drinkers to:

• engage in high-risk sexual behaviors

• become pregnant

• contract sexually transmitted diseases

• be involved in automobile and other accidents

• exhibit conduct disorders

• commit violent or criminal acts

• suffer from depression

• get into trouble at home and with the law

• have academic problems and/or drop out of school

Want more information? PARENT RESOURCES

References
1. American Medical Assn. report on “Alcohol’s Adverse Effects on the Brains of Children, Adolescents and College Students, 2003 Fact Sheet.” References American Medical Assn. report on Alcohol’s Adverse Effects on the Brains of Children, Adolescents and College Students, 2003 Fact Sheet.

2. Alcohol Abuse Prevention, Facts For Parents, A Family Guide. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA). http://family.samhsa.gov/stop/talk.aspx