Health Effects of underage Drinking

The consequences of alcohol in the young body are many. Surveys of adolescents suggest that alcohol use is associated with risky sexual behavior and increased vulnerability to coercive sexual activity. Young drinkers are more likely to fall prey to other types of risky behavior and victimization.

In Anderson , t he average age of a child’s first drink is now 13, and by senior year in high school, nearly 50% are regular drinkers (having drank in the past 30 days). While many believe that underage drinking is an inevitable "rite of passage" that adolescents can easily recover from because their bodies are more resilient, the opposite is true. According to a report in the Journal of Substance Abuse, more than 40% of individuals who start drinking around age 13 will develop alcohol abuse problems later in life.

For more information regarding the health consequences of underage drinking link to:

- American Medical Association - www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/9416.html

- Adolescent Substance Abuse Knowledge Base
- www.adolescent-substance-abuse.com/myths-alcohol.html