DANGERS

OF TEEN DRINKING

Studies show a relationship between underage drinking behaviors and the drinking behaviors of adult relatives, and adults in the same household, community and state.

There is a relationship between youth and adult drinking, including binge drinking, in states and communities.

A 5% increase in binge drinking among adults in a community is associated with a 12% increase in the chance of underage drinking.

(Alcohol Clinical Experimental Research October 2013;37:1713–1719)

1
Drunk Driving Deaths
2
Altered Brain Development
3
Reduced Academic Performance
4
Binge Drinking and Associated Health Risk Behaviors

Drunk driving deaths

Underage drivers are more susceptible than adults to the alcohol-induced impairment of driving skills.

Since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began recording alcohol-related statistics in 1982, the number of persons under 21, killed in drunk driving crashes decreased 73% from the record high of 5,215 in 1982 to 1,392 in 2023. These fatalities account for about 11% of the drunk driving fatalities in the U.S. For every 100,000 Americans under the age of 21, 1.6 people were killed in drunk driving fatalities in 2023. The rate of under 21 drunk driving fatalities per 100,000 population has declined 77% since 1982.

(Source: NHTSA, FARS data, 2025)

Altered Brain Development

The human brain continues to develop into a person's early 20s.

There is concerning evidence from small-scale human brain imaging studies that underage drinking can harm the developing brain. In the long term, heavy alcohol use by teens can alter the trajectory of brain development and cause lingering cognitive defects; whether these defects are permanent is not now known.

Reduced Academic Performance

There is a relationship between binge drinking and grades.

A government study published in 2007 showed that approximately two-thirds of students with “mostly A’s” are non-drinkers, while nearly half of the students with “mostly D’s and F’s” report binge drinking.

Binge Drinking and Risks

Nearly 13 percent of American teens self-reported drinking alcohol during the past 30 days, and almost nine percent reported binge drinking.

The prevalence of binge drinking among high school seniors has been cut in nearly half over the past decade (down 49% since 2015), yet one in 11 high school seniors still report engaging in this harmful drinking and 43 percent perceive there to be a great risk of harm in binge drinking. (Source: 2024 Monitoring the Future Study, 2024)

Drunk driving deaths

Underage drivers are more susceptible than adults to the alcohol-induced impairment of driving skills.

Since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began recording alcohol-related statistics in 1982, the number of persons under 21, killed in drunk driving crashes decreased 73% from the record high of 5,215 in 1982 to 1,392 in 2023. These fatalities account for about 11% of the drunk driving fatalities in the U.S. For every 100,000 Americans under the age of 21, 1.6 people were killed in drunk driving fatalities in 2023. The rate of under 21 drunk driving fatalities per 100,000 population has declined 77% since 1982.

(Source: NHTSA, FARS data, 2025)

Altered Brain Development

The human brain continues to develop into a person's early 20s.

There is concerning evidence from small-scale human brain imaging studies that underage drinking can harm the developing brain. In the long term, heavy alcohol use by teens can alter the trajectory of brain development and cause lingering cognitive defects; whether these defects are permanent is not now known.

Reduced Academic Performance

There is a relationship between binge drinking and grades.

A government study published in 2007 showed that approximately two-thirds of students with “mostly A’s” are non-drinkers, while nearly half of the students with “mostly D’s and F’s” report binge drinking.

Binge Drinking and Risks

Nearly 13 percent of American teens self-reported drinking alcohol during the past 30 days, and almost nine percent reported binge drinking.

The prevalence of binge drinking among high school seniors has been cut in nearly half over the past decade (down 49% since 2015), yet one in 11 high school seniors still report engaging in this harmful drinking and 43 percent perceive there to be a great risk of harm in binge drinking. (Source: 2024 Monitoring the Future Study, 2024)

According to data from the CDC, drinking by those below the age of 21 is also strongly linked with:

  • Death from alcohol poisoning.
  • Unintentional injuries, such as car crashes, falls, burns, and drowning.
  • Suicide and violence, such as fighting and sexual assault.
  • Changes in brain development.
  • School performance problems, such as higher absenteeism and poor or failing grades.
  • Alcohol dependence later in life.
  • Other risk behaviors such as smoking, drug misuse, and risky sexual behaviors.
Low and High Risk Behaviors

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IT’S UNSAFE. IT’S ILLEGAL. IT’S IRRESPONSIBLE.

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