The Risks and Consequences of Underage Drinking

The Hard Facts About Underage Drinking

Alcohol. It seems to be everywhere: at home, at parties, even at school. Alcohol has become the drug of choice for many teenagers, and the health risks and consequences associated with underage drinking can be devastating. Underage drinking often leads to risky behaviors.

A Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that:
 

• 18% of those surveyed binge drink 

• 8% got in a car and drove after drinking alcohol

• 20% rode with someone who had been drinking

Each year, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking. This includes about 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle crashes, 1,600 as a result of homicides, 300 from suicide, as well as hundreds from other injuries such as falls, burns, and drownings. 

What happens to your brain when you drink?

The following video explains how underage drinking impacts your brain:

How widespread is underage drinking?

A study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry surveyed more than ten thousand U.S. teens between the ages of 13 and 18 and found that:

• 78% of them had used alcohol 

• 47% of the group said they'd consumed 12 or more drinks in the past year 

• By age 15, at least half of adolescents report having had at least one drink 

• By 18, that number climbs to 70%

In fact, on average, underage drinkers consume more drinks per drinking occasion than adult drinkers. Another disturbing finding? That same study found that 15% of the teens met the criteria for lifetime alcohol abuse. This finding is not surprising since alcohol has a significant impact on developing teenage brains. 

Effects of Teen Alcohol Abuse

Binge Drinking and Sexual Assault

Alyssa was nervous. This was her first big party, and she didn’t know everyone all that well. To help her relax she grabbed a beer from the cooler in the living room soon after her arrival. A second beer soon followed. 

By this time someone began passing around a bottle of vodka. When it reached Alyssa she was standing near the captain of the football team. He draped an arm around her shoulder, and urged her to take a chug from the bottle. When Alyssa hesitated, he grabbed the bottle and brought it to her lips, forcing the bottle between them. “Come on, Alyssa! Don’t be a drag — drink it!” he demanded. Alyssa complied, and felt the liquid burn as it slipped down her throat. 

The rest of the evening was a series of memory snippets. She remembered hands on her body, cool air touching her skin, and the rest was a blur until she woke up partially undressed on the front lawn of her house.

Think what happened to Alyssa could never happen to you?

Unfortunately, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, sexual assaults when a participant is too drunk to give consent to sex are more common than you may think. 

According to the organization, conservative estimates of sexual assault prevalence suggest that 25 percent of American women have experienced sexual assault, including rape. Approximately one-half of those cases involve alcohol consumption by the perpetrator, victim, or both. Sadly, sexual assault often goes unreported for fear of the victim not being believed, the potential for social stigma, and an undeserved feeling of guilt.

Binge Drinking: Risky Business

According to the American Psychological Association, alcohol consumption — binge drinking in particular — is the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States. This type of drinking is also associated with alcohol poisoning, unintentional injuries, suicide, hypertension, pancreatitis, sexually transmitted diseases, and meningitis, among other disorders. 

Alcohol poisoning is one of the biggest risks of binge drinking because the body absorbs ethanol — the active ingredient in alcoholic drinks — faster than proteins, carbohydrates, or fats. It takes the body about an hour to process one drink’s worth of alcohol through the liver, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you believe someone is suffering from alcohol poisoning it is important to call 911 immediately and stay with that person until help arrives.

Binge Drinking: Risky Business

What qualifies as binge drinking?

So how do you know when you have crossed the line between having a few drinks and binge drinking?

Binge drinking is defined as consuming 5 or more drinks of any alcohol in one setting for boys, and 4 or more drinks for girls. Chugging hard liquor puts you way beyond the five drink limit and could put you on the fast track to alcohol poisoning. 

Binge drinking can also have long-term health effects, including weight gain, high blood pressure, heart, liver and cognitive issues. In addition, binge drinking can also lead to adult-related stress and addiction. 

Drunkorexia: An Alarming New Trend

Tragic Consequences of Drinking and Driving

In the United States, you are considered an adult once you reach the age of 18. However, the legal minimum age to drink alcohol is 21. This means you cannot legally consume alcohol even though you are legally considered to be an adult.

The reason behind making you wait until age 21 is because the developing adolescent brain is affected differently by alcohol than the adult brain. The 21-year-old drinking age protects adolescents and young adults from potentially negative consequences such as drinking and driving. In fact, according to the National Traffic Highway Administration, since the drinking age was raised to 21 in 1982 there has been a 62% decrease in alcohol fatalities among teen drivers.

Facts About Underage Drinking and Driving

Moral and Legal Consequences of Drinking and Driving

So what are the penalties if you are caught drinking and driving? Typically, an underage driver convicted of a DUI will have their driver’s license suspended for one year or more. Judges also have the power to order your car impounded. In addition, you could face fines that may range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars depending on state law and the facts specific to the case. Even worse, if you hurt someone while drinking and driving, you could take a life and face criminal charges. 

Following a conviction, you will also most likely have to attend drug/alcohol and driver’s education classes as well as complete a month or more of community service. Of course, there is also the possibility of spending time in jail.

One mistake can follow you your whole life

Another potentially devastating effect of getting an underage DUI is that you may have to disclose the conviction on college applications, job applications, or for requests for some types of financial aid, which may impact your ability to get into the college of your choice, get a job, or get the financial aid you need. Failure to disclose this could result in perjury charges. 

And, of course, the worst possible consequence of drinking and driving is death — your own or someone else’s. The question you need to ask yourself is this: is drinking and driving worth the risk?

Stay in Shape!

Home Resources

Here are some helpful things for you to talk about at home:

Shared Vocabulary:

•  None

Key Takeaways:

• Teens are more susceptible to peer pressure and will often engage in drinking games that encourage drinking more in a very short period of time.
• Teenagers often think that they are invincible, which causes them to believe they can drink even though they are often physically smaller than adults and can handle less alcohol.
• Based on typical adolescent brain development, teens have more difficulties thinking about the consequences of their actions, especially if they’re drunk.
• Regular parent conversations about alcohol usage and the risks and consequences will help teenagers make informed decisions when they are in situations where alcohol is present.

Continue the Conversation: 

• Alcohol can have negative effects on everyone, but why is it more dangerous physically for teens?
• What are the consequences of drinking and driving?
• How do we continue to have open and honest conversations about alcohol and me helping you make good decisions?

Home Activity:

• Talk with your teen about the dangers of alcohol, including personal stories if appropriate.

Welcome to the Companion Guide!

The following companion guide is available in an online format as well as a printable pdf.  To download the full guide, please click on the link below.  Additional downloadable resources are available at the end of the digital guide. 

The guide (printable and digital) includes:

• A discussion guide that provides you shared vocabulary, questions to continue the conversation with your student, and additional resources
• A student handout that provides resources and information for students to take home

Click on the link below to download the full guide or click the "Next" button to continue to the digital version!

Response Guidelines

If a student asks a question or shares information that you don’t have the answers to or know how to respond to, take the following steps:

1. Stay calm.
2. Validate what the student said and how brave they were to share.
3. Let them know that you want to help in any way possible while protecting their privacy.
4. If the response indicates an emergency, get help immediately.
5. If the response does not indicate an emergency, get help as soon as class is over.

CASEL Competency: Responsible Decision Making

Brief Summary: Students will learn why some teens try alcohol, why teens are vulnerable to binge drinking, how binge drinking affects teen brains and bodies, and the potential consequences of underage drinking.

Before the Online Lesson: Discuss lesson objectives and vocabulary with students. 

• Journal Question: 
  • How can drinking damage your brain?
• Lesson Objectives
  • Students will be able to describe the physical impacts that alcohol has on their bodies.
  • Students will be able to explain what binge drinking is and the negative consequences associated with binge drinking.
  • Students will be able to describe the legal consequences associated with underage drinking.
• Shared Vocabulary: 
  •  None

During the Online Lesson: 

• Students may complete the online lesson independently, or you may lead it as a whole class lesson. 
• You know your students best, so feel free to interject and ask appropriate questions, especially higher-order questions, where appropriate. 

After the Online Lesson: Talk with students about what they have learned and how they can apply it in real life. 

• Key Takeaways: 
  • Teens are more susceptible to peer pressure and will often engage in drinking games that encourage drinking more in a very short period of time.
  • Teenagers often think that they are invincible, which causes them to believe they can drink even though they are often physically smaller than adults and can handle less alcohol.
  • Based on typical adolescent brain development, teens have more difficulties thinking about the consequences of their actions…especially if they are drunk already.
  • Regular parent conversations about alcohol usage and the risks and consequences will help teenagers make informed decisions when they are in situations where alcohol is present.
• Continue the Conversation: 
  • Alcohol can have negative effects on everyone, but why is it more dangerous physically for teens?
  • What are the consequences of drinking and driving? With your life and the law?
  • How do we continue to have open and honest conversations about alcohol and me helping you make good decisions?
• Follow-Up Activity/Prompt: 
  • Why is peer pressure so challenging to avoid in these situations? What are some ways you can avoid being in these situations, or how can you exit without feeling embarrassed or ashamed?

Additional Resources: 

• Additional Activities: 
  • Ticket-out-the-door Question: What is one consequence of underage drinking?