Teens continue to consume alcohol -- and they're doing so at younger ages, reports this news-service story in USA TODAY. But a new poll finds that teens overwhelmingly support the 21-year-old legal drinking age and believe it should be more strictly enforced.
Teens start drinking earlier now -- at age 16 -- than they did in the 1960s, when young adults generally started drinking around 18. In a 1999 survey, half of the high school seniors surveyed reported that they had drunk alcohol in the previous month. More than 2,000 deaths each year are attributed to alcohol consumption in 15- to 19-year-olds, according to the article.
"We need to re-evaluate what we're doing and do something different now," says Mark Weber, of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
According to this related story, also in USA TODAY, the earlier a teen starts drinking, the more likely he is to abuse alcohol. And, if teens drink heavily, alcohol can alter brain structure and also cause lasting cognitive impairment.
This article from the American Academy of Pediatrics offers tips on keeping kids off alcohol and drugs.
