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visit our underage drinking page

ALCOHOL

Facts

• Parental Disapproval is the #1 reason kids choose not to drink.
• 67% of teens who drink before age 15 will try other drugs. 
• Teens who drink before age 15 are 4 times more likely to become addicted.
• The easiest place for kids to get alcohol is in their own home. 
• Combining alcohol with antidepressants or anti-anxiety medication can cause: increased feelings of depression or hopelessness and suicide in adolescents
• Alcohol impairs judgment which can lead to unwanted sexual activity, auto crashes and other risky behavior.
• Some medications, including painkillers and cough, cold and allergy remedies, contain more that one ingredient that can react with alcohol.
• More than 19% of drivers ages 16 to 20 who died in motor vehicle crashes had been drinking alcohol.


​Appearance

Alcohol comes in many varieties:

• Beer

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• Liquor and Alcoholic Energy Drinks

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• Alcopops or Seltzers 

What are Alcopops

• Sweet, fruit flavored drinks that look and taste like soda pop, lemonade, punch and tea.
• Alcopops are not beer. They are an alcohol product that contains distilled spirits, also know as “flavored malt beverages” or “flavored alcoholic beverages”
• Alcopops are a bridge between non-alcoholic beverages and the harsher tastes of traditional alcohol products. They taste smoother and they don’t have the bitter beer taste, making it more appealing and easier for youth to consume.

​QUOTES FROM ALCOHOL COMPANIES“The beauty of this category (alcopops) is that it brings in new drinkers, people who really don’t like the taste of beer.” “Our goal is to win the entry-level beer drinker.” 

​The Effects of Alcohol

 ​When alcohol is consumed it absorbs into a person’s bloodstream.  From there it affects the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord), which controls virtually all body functions.  Alcohol actually blocks some of the messages trying to get to the brain; this alters a person’s perceptions, emotions, movement, vision and hearing. 

The Brain
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Youth who drink can have a significant reduction in their learning and memory.  Teen alcohol users are most susceptible to damaging two key brain areas that are undergoing dramatic changes in adolescence.  

The Pre-frontal area (behind the forehead) undergoes the most change during adolescence.  Research found that adolescent drinking can cause severe changes in this area and others, which play an important role in forming adult personality and behavior, and is often called the CEO of the brain.  
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The Hippocampus handles many types of memory and learning. It suffers the worst alcohol related brain damage in teens. Those who had been drinking more and for longer periods, had a significantly smaller hippocampus (10%).

Alcohol intoxication can cause

• Distorted Perceptions
• Impaired coordination
• Difficulty in thinking and problem solving
• Problems with learning 
• Memory problems

Alcohol affects a child’s developing brain differently that an adult. 
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​A child’s brain goes through rapid change and development between the ages of 10-21. Drinking alcohol, especially before age 21, can cause permanent brain damage.

​Warning signs & Consequences of Underage Drinking

• School problems, such as higher absence and poor or failing grades.
• Social problems, such as fighting and lack of participation in youth activities
• Legal problems, such as arrest for driving or physically hurting someone while drunk.
• Physical problems, such as hangovers or illnesses.
• Unwanted, unplanned, and unprotected sexual activity.
• Disruption of normal froth and sexual development.
• Physical and sexual assault.
• Higher risk for suicide and homicide.
• Alcohol-related car crashes and other unintentional injuries, such as burns, fall, and drowning.

• Memory problems
• Abuse of other drugs.
• Death from alcohol poisoning
• Changes in brain development that have life-long effects.

​83% of 12-17 year-olds do NOT drink

​Signs & Symptoms of Use

• Loss of emotional restraint 
• Flushing of skin ​​ 
• ​Loss of control of fine motor coordination
• Inappropriate laughter

• ​Impairment of judgment 
• Vomiting Smell of alcohol on breath 
• Increased sociability
• Feeling of warmth

• Double vision
• Emotionally unstable
• Slurred speech 
• Increased self confidence and courage
• Vivaciousness 

Common Slang Terms

• Booze
• Brews
• Hard Stuff
• Hooch 
• Liquid Gold
• Liquid Courage

•  Juice 
• Sauce 
• Red eye
• Moonshine 
•  Toddy 
• Jungle Juice

• Tipple
• Rotgut
• Canned heat
•  Scoops
• Brewskies 
• Wobbily Pops ​

Paraphernalia

Beer Koozies

Games 

Shot glasses 

Beer Keg 

Bottle openers

Funnel or “Bong”