Alcohol - a substance created when grains, fruits, or vegetables are fermented. Most commonly consumed by drinking and absorbing into the bloodstream, affecting the brain and spinal cord.

• Youth who start drinking before age 15 years are five times more likely to develop alcohol dependence or abuse later in life than those who begin drinking at or after age 21 years. 1
• Alcohol is a leading cause of death among teenagers and substantially contributes to motor vehicle crashes, other traumatic injuries, homicides, suicides, date rape, and family and school problems. 2

• Alcohol use during adolescence is associated with significant and possibly irreversible damage to the brain. Studies show that drinkers (age 14 –21) had approximately 10% smaller hippocampi, the area of the brain that handles memory and learning, than those who do not drink. 3
• About 90% of the alcohol consumed by youth under the age of 21 in the United States is in the form of binge drinking. (5 drinks for males/ 4 drinks for females over the course of 2 hours or less) 4

1. Miller JW, Naimi TS, Brewer RD, Jones SE. Binge drinking and associated health risk behaviors among high school students. Pediatrics 2007;119:76–85.

2. Office of Applied Studies. The NSDUH Report: Alcohol Dependence or Abuse and Age at First Use. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, October 2004. Retrieved from: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k4/ageDependence/ageDependence.htm

3. American Medical Association Harmful Consequences of Alcohol Use on the Brains of Children, Adolescents, and College Students. Retrieved from: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/388/harmful_consequences.pdf

4. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Drinking in America: Myths, Realities, and Prevention Policy. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2005. Retried from: http://www.udetc.org/documents/Drinking_in_America.pdf