Why Be Concerned With Underage Alcohol Use

In 2007, about 10.7 million persons aged 12 to 20 (27.9 percent of this age group) reported drinking alcohol in the past month. That's too many kids! These young people are putting themselves at risk for problems such as academic failure and risky behaviors such as violence and drunk driving. Youth who use alcohol also are at much higher risk of serious health consequences as adults, such as alcohol dependence and other substance abuse problems. We can prevent the enormous toll that alcohol abuse takes on individuals and on society as a whole by stopping it before it starts. Help protect the future of our youth by participating in underage drinking prevention activities! For more information on underage drinking prevention, visit www.stopalcoholabuse.gov.

Resources

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration encourages you to participate in your community’s Red Ribbon Week planning and implementation activities. We think you will find the following materials helpful in making underage drinking prevention an important part of Red Ribbon Week as well as enhancing your organization’s underage drinking prevention efforts throughout the year: