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It’s natural for teenagers to want to experiment, and drinking alcohol is no exception. According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, almost one-third of people between the ages of 12 and 20 report having had at least one drink. Sampling alcohol in a safe, controlled family environment can be a part of growing up, and many states have laws permitting this. However, unsupervised drinking underage can have a long-term impact on a young person’s health and mental well-being.
Underage drinking is something a lot of parents worry about, but how common is it? Do most teens drink alcohol? How serious is the issue of underage drinking? We’ll explore these issues and discuss how to tackle underage drinking in this article.
The Negative Impact of Drinking Underage on Brain Development
Adolescence is an important time in a person’s physical and social development. While adolescents may look like adults on the outside, their brains are still developing. Alcohol misuse during adolescence can have a lasting negative impact on a person’s cognitive functioning.
Some examples of underage drinking effects in terms of brain development include impairment to the:
- Frontal lobe. This part of the brain is responsible for planning and decision-making.
- Hippocampus. This is an area of the brain involved in learning and memory.
- Amygdala. This is the part of the brain that controls fear and the survival instinct.
- Corpus callosum. It’s responsible for communication between the left and right sides of the brain.
Fortunately, during adolescence, the human brain has a high level of plasticity and can recover from many of these negative changes if the young person stops drinking alcohol.
How Peer Pressure and Social Media Influence Alcohol Use
Adolescence is when young people explore their identities and want to push against boundaries set by authority figures. It’s also a time when young people want to fit in with their peers. This makes them particularly vulnerable to both risk-taking behaviors and peer pressure.
Adolescents lack the decision-making capabilities of adults and are more drawn to short-term rewards. Because of the stage of brain development they’re in, they’re more likely to make risky choices, such as engaging in underage drinking.
Social media amplifies these risks. Before the era of smartphones, it was easier for parents to be aware of what their children were doing and who they were socializing with. Dealing with teenage rebellion was still challenging, but it was easier to steer a child away from negative influences.
Young people can now engage with peers and influencers from all over the world. Smartphones and social media also make it harder for adolescents to “switch off” after school. Bullying that was formerly limited to the classroom is now inescapable, with those bullies able to reach their targets on social media and messaging apps.
For an adolescent who’s feeling insecure about their identity or place in society, social media can be particularly problematic. Influencers, memes and viral videos create a false impression that “everyone is doing it.” If the “it” the young person is seeing is underage drinking or substance abuse, they might find it hard to withstand the pressure to join in.
The Legal and Health Consequences of Underage Drinking
For some individuals, drinking underage leads to nothing more than a hangover and a vow never to drink again. Not everyone is so fortunate, however. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 4,000 young people die from excessive alcohol use each year.
Adolescents who drink alcohol are more likely to engage in other high-risk behaviors and are at a greater risk of problems at school or with the law. These issues include:
- Increased school absences/truancy
- Poor academic performance
- Drunk driving (and the associated legal and safety risks)
- Other forms of substance abuse
- Sexually transmitted infections
- Unplanned pregnancy
Long-term alcohol abuse can increase the risk of high blood pressure and cholesterol levels and can damage the heart, liver and pancreas. Individuals who began drinking when they were underage are more likely to become heavy drinkers when they’re older.
Strategies to Prevent Underage Drinking
Preventing underage drinking isn’t easy. Teenagers will always want to test boundaries and break rules. The CDC recommends some community strategies to prevent underage drinking. For example, communities can try to reduce the number of places that sell alcohol, increase the price of alcohol and be more proactive about refusing to sell alcoholic beverages to underage customers.
Parents and mentors to young people still bear significant responsibility for discouraging underage drinking and for helping young people who’ve already started drinking to beat the habit.
When it comes to alcohol abuse, prevention is ideal. Encourage your child to take part in extracurricular activities and to surround themselves with good mentors and responsible peers. Try to limit their screen time and educate them on the ways social media algorithms manipulate people. Young people who have good role models and active lifestyles are less likely to fall into negative patterns of behavior.
If you suspect your teenager is drinking, try to address the issue with compassion. Ask them if they’re feeling stressed or worried about school, relationships or other issues. Offer them support so they can work through their concerns in a healthier way.
Get Help for Underage Drinking
If your teenager is using alcohol or other illicit substances, seek help for them as soon as possible. At FHE Health, we offer medically supervised detox services in Florida and can help your teenager break free from alcoholism and find more productive ways to manage stress or anxiety. Contact us today to learn more about our rehab options.
