Parents of teenagers who do not think that their children have at least tried alcohol are fooling only themselves. This fact is reinforced by various research studies. In reality, what research is finding is that
Teenage Drinking Can Lead to Other Risky Behavior
- Teenage drinkers are much more likely to use cocaine than teens who have never taken a drink. One study puts the figure at 50 times more likely.
- Teenage drinkers are more likely to engage in “binge drinking”, defined as consuming five or more alcoholic drinks in one episode of drinking. A recent survey of high school seniors revealed that 25-30% stated that they had consumed five or more drinks in one episode of drinking during the previous two-week period. In a 2002 report on binge drinking, it was revealed that 2.6 million binge drinkers were age 17 or younger.
- Teens younger than 15 years old who have consumed alcohol are two times more likely to have sex than non-drinkers.
- Approximately four out of ten teenagers who are sexually active and consume alcohol have had sexual relations with four or more partners, increasing their risk of pregnancy or a sexually transmitted disease.
- One 2005 study indicates that large numbers of teens reported that they drove while under the influence of alcohol.
Teenage Drinking is Widespread
While no one wants to think that their teenager is engaging in any form of risky behavior, most would be startled to know how widespread the use of alcohol is with teenagers. Many studies have been conducted on the subject, but some of the most alarming information comes from surveys of high school students reporting on their own behavior and teen addiction.
- Among high school seniors, one in four reported using alcohol on a daily basis.
- In one survey of high school seniors, half of them reported that they had consumed an alcoholic drink in the previous thirty days, while 32% reported they had been drunk at least once during that same time.
- Among younger teens, 40% of high school freshmen reported they had consumed alcohol before they reached the age of 13. Another study of freshmen indicated that 41% of them reported they had been drinking at least once during the previous month.
- It appears that any age is susceptible to over indulging in alcohol. One survey of teenagers indicated that 20% of eighth graders reported they had been drunk at least once, while the number for high school juniors was more than double that figure.
As alarming as these statistics are, many of the issues they highlight have been known for decades. Yet nothing significant seems to be making much of an impact on reducing teenage