Stakeholders Involved In Underage Drinking

Addiction is a condition that results when a person ingests a substance or engage in an activity that is pleasurable at the moment but not conducive to that individual’s health. My health-related topic is alcoholism. Underage drinking is a serious problem in my state. Stakeholders involved in this underage drinking are children between the age of 12 and 20. Which lead to the greatest threats in my state.

A recent CNN medical segment ("Teenage binge drinkers are more likely to become adult alcoholics" 6/16/04") reported that a study had found that teen binge drinking leads to an increased risk for alcoholism. About 5,100 injuries relate to drunken suicide attempts and 40,000 to the results of alcohol poisoning. These estimates relied on statistics

from the CDC's National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.
More adolescents use alcohol than cigarettes or marijuana

Centers of Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) found out that among high school students within 30 days in 2013:
• 35% drank some amount of alcohol.
• 21% binge drank.
• 10% drove after drinking alcohol.
• 22% rode with a driver who had drunk alcohol.
Alcohol can cause serious injuries, impaired judgment which includes sexual activity (such as unprotected sex), and aggressive or violent behavior and even death. 5.4 million Young people had 5 or more drinks on the same occasion, within a few hours, at least once in the past month. 1.4 million Young people had 5 or more drinks on the same occasion on 5 or more days over the past month.
In 2007, underage drinking cost the citizens of Virginia $1.3 billion. Under Virginia underage drinking law, there are some penalties upon conviction.
• Loss of driver’s license for 6 to 12 months
• Mandatory minimum fine of $500 (up to $2,500) or a minimum community service
• If caught possible expulsion from school
• Up to 12 months in jail.
Some other consequences of this drinking are:
• Memory problems.
• Abuse of other drugs.
• Changes in brain development that may have life-long effects.
• Disruption of normal growth and sexual development.
Parents should try to explain the risks, be involve, talk early and often, set clear rules, watch children’s friends and activities, and make alcohol unavailable.