Alcohol and Youth Facts


Alcohol is a leading cause of death among youth, particularly teenagers. It contributes substantially to adolescent motor vehicle crashes, other traumatic injuries, suicide, date rape, and family and school problems.1
Every day, on average, 11,318 American youth (12 to 20 years of age) try alcohol for the first time, compared with 6,488 for marijuana; 2,786 for cocaine; and 386 for heroin.2
Alcohol is by far the most used and abused drug among America’s teenagers. According to a national survey, nearly one third (31.5%) of all high school students reported hazardous drinking (5+ drinks in one setting) during the 30 days preceding the survey.3
Children who are drinking alcohol by 7th grade are more likely to report academic problems, substance use, and delinquent behavior in both middle school and high school. By young adulthood, early alcohol use was associated with employment problems, other substance abuse, and criminal and other violent behavior.4
Young people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcoholism than those who begin drinking at 21.5
1,400 (3.84 a day) college students in the U.S. are killed each year as a result of alcohol-related injuries.6
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1Ninth Special Report to the U.S. Congress on Alcohol and Health from the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Rockville, MD: USDHHS, Public Health Service, Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Administration, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Jun 1997. Kann, L., Warren, C., et al., Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States, 1995. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep CDC Surveillance Summaries, 45(4):1-84, Sep 27, 1996.

2Data reported by Jill Schmidtlein, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Drug Policy Information Clearinghouse, Feb 13, 1998. The data were extrapolated from Preliminary Estimates from the 1996 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 1997.

3Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance – United States, 1999. June 09, 2000 / 49(SS05);1-96 Kann, L., S. Kinchen, B. Williams, J. Ross, R. Lowry, J. Grunbaum, and L. Kolbe., www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss4905a1.htm accessed June 19, 2001.

4 Ellickson, P., Tucker, J., and Klein, D. Ten-year prospective study of publc health problems associated with early drinking. Pediatrics 111(5):949-955, 2003.

5Grant, B., and Dawson, D. Age at onset of alcohol use and its association with DSM-IV alcohol abuse and dependence: Results from the National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey. Journal of Substance Abuse, Vol. 9, Jan. 1998. pp. 103-110.

6National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, College Drinking Hazardous to Campus Communities Task Force Calls for Research-_base_d Prevention Programs, www.niaaa.nih.gov/press/2002/college.htm, released April 9, 2002.

Physiological Effects of Alcohol on Teenagers


Scientific evidence suggests that even modest alcohol consumption in late childhood and adolescence can result in permanent brain damage.

—Testimony of Dr. John Nelson, American Medical Association, 2002

Teenage Girls 12 to 16 years old who currently drink alcohol are four times more likely than their non-drinking peers to suffer from depression.

—Third National Health and Nutrition Survey, 2000

Research shows teen drinkers score worse than their non-drinking peers on vocabulary, visual-spatial, and memory tests, and are more likely to perform poorly in school as a whole.

—“Underage Drinkers at Higher Risk of Brain Damage,” American Medical Association, 2003

Teens who drink alcohol may remember 10 percent less of what they learned compared to non-drinking adolescents.

—Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 2000

Among current drinkers aged 12 to 17, 31 percent suffered extreme levels of psychological distress, and 39 percent exhibited serious behavioral problems.

—Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 1999

Among 12 to 16 year olds, regular alcohol use is associated with attention-deficit disorder. In one study, adolescents who reported higher levels of drinking were more likely to have attention-deficit disorder.

—Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 1999

Drunk Driving - The Dangers
From Buddy T,
Your Guide to Alcoholism / Substance Abuse.
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Some Cold, Hard Facts About Drinking and Driving
Although alcohol-related traffic fatalities have been on the decline in recent years, the certainty of highway deaths due to alcohol impaired drivers is so predictable each holiday period many state highway patrol departments each year issue highway fatality "projections" that will turn out to be uncanningly accurate.
In spite of all the warnings, public awareness and educational programs, stiffer penalties for violations, and efforts by law enforcement agencies across the nation to be more visible and diligent in protecting the highways, people will still make the decision to get behind the wheel of their vehicles while intoxicated.

The sad fact is motor vehicle wrecks are the leading cause of death in the United States for persons under age 34, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Reports. Of those deaths, more than 40 percent are alcohol-related.

Alcohol-related accidents are so prevalent, it is estimated that 40 percent of all persons in the United States will be involved in a traffic mishap blamed on alcohol at some point in their lives. Forty percent!

How dangerous is drinking and driving?

A driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.10 or greater is seven times more likely to be involved in a fatal motor vehicle crash than is a driver who has not consumed alcoholic beverages, and a driver with an alcohol concentration of 0.15 or greater is about 25 times more likely.


Cold, Hard Facts
Basically, the more you drink the more likely you are to have an accident, and a fatal one. The same applies for the likelihood of having any vehicle accident, fatal or otherwise. Here's the cold hard facts:
A 160-pound person drinking two beers within an hour would probably have a BAC of 0.04, well below the legal limits of driving under the influence, but 1.4 times more likely to have an accident than someone who is sober.

Two more beers? The likelihood of an accident goes up almost tenfold to 11 times more likely that the non-drinking driver. As the amount of alcohol in the driver's system rises mathematically on the BAC scale, the likelihood of a traffic accident multiples!

Two more beers? Up to a six-pack now? The likelihood of having an accident is now 48 times higher than the abstainer and the driver has just now reached the 0.10 BAC level.

Two more? Hey, you've already had a six pack, two more couldn't hurt, right? Except two more beers could put your BAC close to 0.15 at which point you are 380 times more likely to have an accident.

Play it smart during weekend and holidays. If you plan to party away from home -- and this includes on the water -- be sure to appoint a designated driver for the car or operator for the boat. What ever you do, don't get behind the wheel if you've been drinking!


Updated: September 30, 2004

Penalties for Driving Drunk
From Buddy T,
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Penalties For Drinking and Driving Get Stiffer
Every day drivers are arrested for driving under the influence, or driving while intoxicated, as law enforcement agencies continue to crackdown on these dangerous offenders. For many of these drivers it will not be their first DUI offense.
So, what fate awaits these drunk drivers? They may be surprised to find that penalties for DUI, even the first offense, have been increased since they last checked. Due to the efforts of groups like Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD), some 1,600 new DUI laws have been passed nationwide since 1980.

All states have adopted 21 as the legal drinking age. Two-thirds of the states have now passed Administrative License Revocation (ALR) laws, which allow the arresting officer to take the license of drivers who fail or refuse to take a breath test.

Many states have now lowered the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit from .10 to .08 percent for adults, and more than a dozen states have passed Zero Tolerance laws which prohibit drivers under 21 from having any measurable amount of alcohol in their blood system.

Moreover, the penalties have increased for drinking and driving, especially for repeat offenders.


[Admin Edit: "Sponsored _link_s" removed]

Many state legislatures have passed laws requiring mandatory jail time for repeat DUI convictions. The fines have gotten larger, the length of license suspension has gotten longer and getting a "hardship" license just to go back and forth to work is getting more difficult.

Facing the Consequencies
Although laws differ from state to state, here's a typical routine facing repeat offenders:
Getting an attorney in hopes of getting a reduced sentence or pleading to a reduced charge is a waste of time and money in many states. The penalties that the judge must impose are mandated by state law. In some states even first offenders may be facing lengthy license suspensions and a weekend in jail.

Many states have passed Habitual Violator laws, which provide felony penalties for three DUI convictions. These offenders lose many of their civil rights -- like being able to vote or own a weapon -- as well as their driver's license permanently or for many, many years.

In order to get that license back, most states now require that offenders complete some form of DUI school, but it has become a lot more involved than just sitting in class several hours and passing a written test.

Now the offender must first go through an assessment interview with a professional counselor before it is determined what steps must be completed before the driver's license is reinstated. Typically, the offender is given a set of questions that are designed to determine the extent of his "drinking problem."


Assessment of Drinking Patterns
In some states, the certified counselor now has the power to adjudicate the offender into Alcoholic Anonymous or a medical treatment or counseling program. The offender does not have to follow the guidelines outlined by the counselor, but it's the only way he will ever regain his driving privileges.
The counselor, _base_d on his assessment of the drunk driver, can mandate attendance at as few as three or four A.A. meetings or, for repeat offenders, 90 meetings in 90 days, or a 28-day residential treatment program, detoxification, or other medical treatment.

All of this cost time and money or both -- on top of the fines and probation fees the offender must pay. But that is not the only cost involved. Many states also require additional insurance coverage before returning driving privileges to DUI offenders, and that can run into some serious money. Then there is the fee most states charge for re-issuing a driver's license.

All totaled, a DUI conviction can be a very expensive[/_link_] deal indeed, especially a second or third offense. The costs can be even greater, for those who receive a DUI as the result of a traffic "accident." Drivers who were drinking at the time are finding that the courts are placing more of the liability for damages on them, regardless of the circumstances of the traffic incident.


Holding Drivers Responsible
The justice system is holding drunk drivers accountable for the damage they do to innocent victims -- families out for a final weekend of summer fun -- who are killed or injured on the highways because the other driver was drinking. The monetary liabilities for such incidents can run into the millions, not to mention the criminal penalties.
In some areas, part of the DUI school curriculum puts offenders face to face with victims, who tell their painful stories of how a drunk driver changed their lives forever. Perhaps personalizing the pain that drinking and driving can cause will make the offender stop and think before getting behind the wheel.

Simply stated, society is trying to get the point across that drinking and driving is no longer acceptable and will not be tolerated.


Updated: August 7, 2006

Here are the FACTS!

“A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.” Psalm 37:16
"Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death." Proverbs 11:4
"Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith". Proverbs 15:16
"For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty"... Proverbs 23:21
"He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich'. Proverbs 21:17

“Well, the number one movie this week is ‘Open Season,’ about young male pages working for Congress.” - Jay Leno

" This is like the worst thing to happen to congressional Republicans since last Thursday.” - Jay Leno

Jon Stewart Says No



Those people wearing "Stewart/Colbert '08" T-shirts can stop hoping — Comedy Central's fake news stars have no intention of making a run for the White House.

Jon Stewart said the T-shirts promoting him and Stephen Colbert "are a real sign of how sad people are" with the state of affairs in the country.



Foley checked himself into rehab. But according to the New York Times, many people question his alcoholism claim. That's when you know things are bad in Washington: when a congressman can't even be trusted to be a drunk. --Jay Leno