It is critical that parents and other trusted adults initiate conversations with kids about underage

drinking well in advance of the first time they are faced with a decision regarding alcohol drinking age, all
States have passed zero-tolerance laws that make it illegal for people under age 21 to drive after drinking any
alcohol. Even though some people believe underage drinking is a rite of passage, there should be a limit to
drinking that should be held at 21 years because it is usually a form of binge drinking, underage drinking
can cause early deaths, and it has the ability of messing up a persons train of thought.
According to Centers for Disease Control, In 2013, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health
reported that 23% of youth aged 12 to 20 years drink alcohol and 14% reported binge drinking in the past 30
days.Underage drinking is a leading contributor to death from injuries, which are the main cause of death for
people under age 21. Each year, approximately 5,000 persons under the age of 21 die from causes related to
underage drinking. These deaths include about 1,600 homicides and 300 suicides.
Drinking continues to be widespread among adolescents, as shown by nationwide surveys as well as
studies in smaller populations. According to data from the 2005 Monitoring the Future study, an annual survey
of U.S. youth, three-fourths of 12th graders, more than two-thirds of 10th graders, and about two in every five
8th graders have consumed alcohol.
As children move from adolescence to young adulthood, they encounter dramatic physical, emotional,
and lifestyle changes. Developmental transitions, such as puberty and increasing independence, have been
associated with alcohol use. So in a sense, just being an adolescent may be a key risk factor not only for starting
to drink but also for drinking dangerously.

As you see in the graph, the percentages of average binge drinkers. Abstainers has an average of 18%
binge drinking, Frequent Binge Drinkers has 21%, Non-Binge Drinkers has an average of 38%, and Occasional
Binge Drinkers has 22%. There more Non-Binge Drinkers than any others which is good because there less
underage drinking.
Children who begin to drink at a very early age such as 12 years old often share similar personality
characteristics that may make them more likely to start drinking. Young people who are disruptive, hyperactive,
and aggressiveoften referred to as having conduct problems or being anti social, as well as those who are
depressed, withdrawn, or anxious, may be at greatest risk for alcohol problems at the age of 20.

Researchers are examining other environmental influences as well, such as the impact of the media. Today
alcohol is widely available and aggressively promoted through television, radio, billboards, and the Internet.
Researchers are studying how young people react to these advertisements. In a study of 3rd, 6th, and 9th
graders, those who found alcohol ads desirable were more likely to view drinking positively and to want to
purchase products with alcohol.
Underage Drinking Causes:

Deaths
Peer Pressure
Blurriness
Liver Damage
Is responsible for more than 4,300 annual deaths among underage youth
Is linked to 189,000 emergency rooms visits by people under age 21 for injuries and other
conditions
Contributes to the likelihood of risky sexual behavior, including unwanted, unintended,
and unprotected sexual activity, and sex with multiple partners
Increases the risk of encountering legal problems, such as being arrested for drunk driving
or physically hurting someone while drunk
Increases the risk of physical and sexual assault
Increases the risk for suicide and homicide
Increases the risk of memory problems
Increases the risk of using and misusing other drugs
Increases the risk of changes in brain development that may have life-long effects
Is a risk factor for heavy drinking later in life, which can lead to other medical problems
youth who start drinking before age 15 are almost 5 times more likely to develop alcohol
dependence or abuse later in life than those who begin drinking at or after age 21

Scientists currently are examining just how alcohol affects the developing brain, but its a difficult task.
Subtle changes in the brain may be difficult to detect but still have a significant impact on long-term thinking
and memory skills. Add to this the fact that adolescent brains are still maturing, and the study of alcohols

effects becomes even more complex. Research has shown that animals fed alcohol during this critical
developmental stage continue to show long-lasting impairment from alcohol at the age of 47. Its simply not
known how alcohol will affect the long-term memory and learning skills of people who began drinking heavily
as adolescents.Today all States have set the minimum legal drinking at age 21. Increasing the age at which
people can legally purchase and drink alcohol has been the most successful intervention to date in reducing
drinking and alcohol-related crashes among people under age 21. NHTSA estimates that 21 saves 700 to 1,000
lives annually. Since 1976, these laws have prevented more than 21,000 traffic deaths. Just how much the legal
drinking age relates to drinking-related crashes is shown by a recent study in New Zealand. Six years ago that
country lowered its minimum legal drinking age to 18. Since then, alcohol-related crashes have risen 12 percent
among 18- to 19-year-olds and 14 percent among 15- to 17-year-olds. Clearly a higher minimum drinking age
can help to reduce crashes and save lives, especially in very young drivers.
Differences between the adult brain and the brain of the maturing adolescent also may help to explain
why many young drinkers are able to consume much larger amounts of alcohol than adults before experiencing
the negative consequences of drinking, such as drowsiness, lack of coordination, and withdrawal/hangover
effect.. This unusual tolerance may help to explain the high rates of binge drinking among young adults. At the
same time, adolescents appear to be particularly sensitive to the positive effects of drinking, such as feeling
more at ease in social situations, and young people may drink more than adults because of these positive social
experiences.
Some of the behavioral and physiological factors that converge to increase or decrease a persons risk
for alcohol problems, including tolerance to alcohols effects, may be directly linked to genetics. For example,
being a child of an alcoholic or having several alcoholic family members places a person at greater risk for
alcohol problems. Children of alcoholics (COAs) are between 4 and 10 times more likely to become alcoholics

themselves than are children who have no close relatives with alcoholism. COAs also are more likely to begin
drinking at a young age and to progress to drinking problems more quickly.
Since Colonial times, drinking alcohol has been part of American culture and its use by young people
has been accepted by many as part of growing up. In fact, during the late 1960s and early 1970s, many States
lowered the legal drinking age from 21 to 18.
Following this change, the number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities among young people increased. In
response to these acute consequences, beginning in the early 1980s individual States increased the drinking age
to 21. In 1984, Congress passed legislation that would withhold federal highway construction funds from any
state that had not adopted a minimum legal drinking age of 21.
By 1988, all States had adopted age 21 as the minimum legal drinking age. Alcohol-related traffic deaths
among young drivers subsequently declined. The prevalence of underage alcohol use, daily alcohol use, and
binge drinking also declined since 1982. However, many young people continued to drink and drink heavily.