Alcohol is the most commonly used substance among underage people. Unfortunately, about 4,000 youth die from alcohol poisoning every year. These drinking behaviors are more commonly seen in adolescents’ parents that tend to drink around them, but specifically binge drinking around them. The average age of drinking when drinking starts under 21 is 13-14 years of age. There’s a lot of reasons young people drink, but the most common ones are peer pressure, family, media, and genetics. Young people that are drinking alcohol are more likely to engage in risky behaviors such as: skipping school, having lower grades, drinking and driving, using illicit drugs or abusing prescription drugs, etc.
Alcohol also affects the brain development of adolescents. It impacts thought processes, memory functions, emotional regulation, planning and organizing, and inhibition. The consumption of alcohol especially at a young age can increase the likelihood of dependency on it. It also increases the risk of sexual risk taking. Adolescents are already curious when it comes to sex, but when drinking is involved, the risk of them having unprotected sex and multiple sexual partners is increased.
Adolescents are very impressionable, so it is important as an adult to limit the amount of drinking you do in front of your child to be a good role model. There’s nothing worse than telling a child to do something (or to not do something), and they say “but you do it, so why can’t I?” Talking to them about alcohol is also helpful because they’re curious, so just having honest and open communication about it can decrease the risk of them trying it out themselves. Lastly, just being understanding. Your child might mess up and drink, but being understanding about their curiosity and the fact that their brains are still developing so they don’t necessarily make the best choices, creates an environment in which your child feels safe enough to approach you to have a discussion about it.
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