Unfortunately, many parents and other adults continue to dismiss underage drinking as a rite of passage while others may just believe that there is nothing they can do to stop it.
The TARGET 21 campaign is for parents and other adults who want to help young people grow up ready to live productive, healthy lives.
The TARGET 21 campaign emphasizes the negative impact alcohol has on the developing adolescent brain as well as the social and legal consequences of underage drinking.
- The brain based research is compelling! It reveals that delaying the onset of alcohol use until at least the legal age of 21 significantly reduces a young person's chance of addiction in his or her lifetime.
- Underage drinking is associated with a greater risk of academic failure, injury, crime, depression or suicide, sexual assault, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, alcohol poisoning, and death.
- Brain Damage
- The Teen Brain
- Quantity and Frequency
Teen Drinking May Cause Irreversible Brain Damage
January 25, 2010
This NPR article, by Michelle Trudeau, features research by Susan Tapert of the University of California San Diego. Her study compared brain scans of teens who drank heavily and those who don't. The results of the study revealed damaged nerve tissues in the brains of teens who drank alcohol. She and other researchers believe that the developing adolescent brain is still more vulnerable to the harmful effects of drugs and alcohol. Read more...
The Teen Brain: It's Just Not Grown Up Yet
March 1, 2010
This NPR article, written by Richard Knox, reveals some of the subtle but important structural differences of the adolescent brain and how they make youth more vulnerable to addiction. "Addiction has been shown to be essentially a form of 'learning,' " (Dr. Frances) Jensen says. After all, if the brain is wired to form new connections in response to the environment, and potent psychoactive drugs suddenly enter that environment, those substances are "tapping into a much more robust habit-forming ability that adolescents have, compared to adults." Read more...
Quantity and Frequency of Underage Drinking
According to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), young people who drink alcohol, those under the age of 21, consume 11.2 percent of the alcohol consumed in the United States in the past month. The findings reveal that underage drinkers also consume alcohol more frequently and they consume more alcohol per occasion than those who are 21 years and older. Read more...
While the majority of young people in Irvine do not drink alcohol, half of those who do engage in binge drinking, putting them at greater risk of both short and long term health, legal and social consequences. (Source: IUSD 2009 California Health Kids Survey)
The Scope of the Problem
Brain based research indicates that the age of onset of alcohol use plays a significant role in determining whether or not a person will suffer from addiction in his or her lifetime. The Journal of Preventative Medicine reports that problematic alcohol consumption is not a benign condition that resolves with age. Underage drinkers are at high risk for black outs, hangovers, alcohol poisoning, and an elevated risk of neurodegeneration (particularly within learning and memory.) Continuous episodes of binge drinking erode the development of the needed transitional skills to adulthood. Specifically, it damages teenagers’ regulatory processes including decision making, impulse control, and judgment.
Age of onset of use among 11th grade students in Irvine who drink.
(Source: IUSD 2009 California Health Kids Survey)
Underage Drinking Myths
Myth: Alcohol is a relatively harmless substance compared to illegal drugs.
Myth: Drinking is an inevitable activity for teens; it’s consumption is part of the transition to adulthood.
Myth: Permitting consumption of alcoholic beverages in a residential setting is safe because impaired driving can be limited and some form of parental oversight is available in case of an emergency.
For Those Who Use, The Problems Are Real
The risks associated with underage drinking are real and severe. Young people who drink alcohol or use other drugs often engage in very risky behavior. Research reveals that during adolescence, the part of the brain responsible for decision making and impulse control is still developing. Some immediate risks associated with alcohol use by youth include:
- Alcohol Poisoning and Death
- Injury
- DUI and Crime
- Violence
- Addiction
- Depression and Suicide
- Pregnancy
- Academic Failure
- Sexual Assault and Rape
- HIV/AIDS and Other STD's