Prevalence

• Students Against Drunk Driving asserts that more than 10.8 million people between 12 and 20 years old reported consuming an alcoholic beverage in the past 30 days. This is 28.2 percent of this population group in the United States. More than 75 percent of students admitted to consuming alcohol before they graduated high school.
  
  

Drunk Driving

• AlcoholAlert.com. reports that 40 percent of drunk driving fatalities in America involve teenagers. Teens are not as experienced behind the wheel, and their bodies are not accustomed to metabolizing alcohol. This combination can turn into a deadly one on the road. If there is a situation that involves the possibility of drinking and driving, the group should designate a driver that will remain sober throughout the evening.
  
  

Alcohol and Sexual Behavior

• Alcohol consumption can increase the likelihood that you will engage in dangerous sexual behavior. According to a study published by Students Against Drunk Driving, 23.3 percent of sexually active teenagers admitted to drinking before their last act of sexual intercourse. If proper protection is not used during such encounters, it can lead to the transmission of sexual diseases and pregnancy.
  
  

Alcohol and Other Behavior

• The Marin Institute, an alcohol industry watchdog group, cites a 10-year study reported in 2003 in the jounal Pediatics that individuals who drink before they enter seventh grade are likely to report problems with their grades. These early drinkers are likely to develop disciplinary problems in high school, and this early drinking is also linked to problems with other drugs such as marijuana.
  
  

Alcohol Abuse

• The earlier you start consuming alcohol, the more likely you are to develop a potentially lifelong problem with addiction. According to The Marin Institute, those who start drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to become alcoholics when compared to those who began consumption at the age of 21.