10 Reasons to Prevent Underage Drinking

Preventing underage drinking is everyone’s responsibility. Here are 10 reasons why you should help prevent youth from drinking.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Youth who drink are more likely to experience:

1. School problems, such as higher rates of absences or lower grades
2. Social problems, such as fighting or lack of participation in youth activities
3. Physical problems, such as hangovers or illnesses
4. Unwanted, unplanned, and unprotected sexual activity
5. Physical and sexual violence
6. Increased risk of suicide and homicide
7. Alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes and other unintentional injuries, such as burns, falls, or drowning
8. Memory problems
9. Misuse of other substances
10. Changes in brain development that may have life-long effects

In addition, early initiation of drinking is associated with development of an alcohol use disorder later in life.