Alcohol use is the number one drug problem among young people. It's easy to understand why. For adults, alcohol is legal, widely accepted in American culture and easily accessible. Many kids can get a drink right in their own homes.
Teenagers are drinking younger and more frequently than previously, often beginning around age 13, according to studies. The average number of alcoholic drinks among college students is five in a single occasion, according to a recent survey. Among those younger than 21, it is 5.5 drinks, and among those 21 and older, it is 4.2 drinks.
The numbers show when young people and alcohol mix, there are deadly consequences. Most teenagers' deaths are associated with alcohol. Partnership for a Drug-Free America found more than 6,000 died in alcohol-related traffic accidents a year. Ironically, alcoholic beverages most associated with "happy hour" have a host of other very unhappy results, such as alcoholism, other drug use and alcohol poisoning.
Young people almost always begin drinking because of peer pressure, in an attempt to be accepted and included in the group. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, more than half of junior and senior high school students drink alcoholic beverages. More than 40 percent of those who drink admit to drinking when upset, 31 percent said they drink alone, 25 percent report they drink when bored and 25 percent said they drink to get "high."
Another recent survey shows about 10 million Americans between ages 12 and 20 reported having at least one drink. Of those, 4.4 million were binge drinkers, meaning they drank to get drunk.
This is a deadly, serious problem on college campuses today. In 1997 Harvard University's School of Public Health surveyed students at 130 colleges for a college alcohol study and found about two of every five college.......
