Did You know?
Underage drinking can make you act and look stupid. Alcohol can make you
feel more social and daring, but it actually is a depressant that slows down parts
of your brain. That’s why people who have been drinking behave in ways they never
would while sober.
Underage drinking makes you accident prone. Alcohol interferes with your
vision, coordination, and concentration by acting as a sedative on your central
nervous system. Nearly 190,000 12-to 20-year-olds wind up in an emergency room each
year for alcohol-related problems. (The majority of those who do are male.)
Underage drinking can harm your brain. The human brain is not fully developed
until the mid-20s. Drinking alcohol, as with other drugs, can interfere with brain
development.
Underage drinking kills. Every year, about 5,000 young people under age
21 die as a result from injuries caused by alcohol use.
Underage drinking may cause depression or make it worse. Young people who
feel depressed are more likely to drink alcohol, but alcohol is not a cure for depression.
If you are depressed, ask an adult for help.