Underage Drinking: So Harmful And So Young

So Harmful and So Young “As they grow older, the chance that young people will use alcohol grows. Approximately 10 percent of 12-year-olds say they have used alcohol at least once. By age 13 that number doubles. And by age 15, approximately 50 percent have had at least one drink.” The age when our children try their first alcoholic beverage is getting younger and younger each year. John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health states “Youth who start drinking before the age of 15 are five times more likely to develop alcohol dependence or abuse in their lifetimes than those who begin drinking at age 21 years or later.” This is a topic that needs to be addressed. Since the age of children who consume their first alcoholic beverage is getting younger each year, the likelihood of these children becoming alcoholics will also increase. Parents and caregivers need to be aware …show more content…
There are many factors in underage drinking. Underage drinking has long term effects and short term effects. Short term effects include hang overs, sickness, vulnerability, and alcohol poisoning. Long term affects can be liver damage, binge drinking, being susceptible to cancers, stroke, and heart attacks. Parents must educate their children to give them the tools they need to be able to decide for themselves if underage drinking is worth the risks. If parents and caregivers don’t take the time to keep their children on the right path, these children may choose to have their first drink at an age far too young. The earlier a child begins to drink the earlier they may be forced to deal with health issues and poor life decisions. A child who would have been an amazing athlete or piano player may turn out to be an alcoholic with nothing to show for themselves. They may end up living on the streets with no family and no