Et cetera : Underage drinking has more consequences than just DUI

Drunk driving and underage drinking tragedies have led many parents to question how to handle their kid’s drinking and ensure that they stay safe. As a result, some parents have chosen to allow their kid to drink at home, “Where they will be safe.” Other adults may be doing the same to appear “cool” to kids and believe that teens drinking alcohol “is no big deal.” In either case, there are some related issues that parents may want to consider before making a decision on how to address drinking with their teen.

There is a tendency to see drunk driving as the only life changing consequence related to alcohol. However, poor decision making, alcohol poisoning, injuries, and addiction can also have a lifelong impact. The latest data shows that underage drinking leads to about 5000 deaths each year. Over 3000 of these deaths resulted from bad decisions other than drinking and driving.1

Some kids avoid fatal outcomes and instead are taken to the hospital. The CDC reports that 190,000 emergency room visits a year are the result of alcohol impaired decisions made by those under 21.2 Many of these visits are due to alcohol poisoning which has increased in recent years. Trends such as teens mixing alcohol with other substances and drinking larger amounts in short periods of time have played a role.

Some outcomes may not send a teen to the hospital right away, but can impact their future. Sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, or addiction are more likely to become a reality with alcohol use. One study revealed that kids who start drinking as teens are five times more likely to develop future alcohol abuse and dependence as those that wait until age 21.3 Moreover, recent findings by some universities indicate that teenage drinking can lead to long term brain damage.4

As parents, we all have to decide what values to teach our children, but is it our place to teach others’ kids that drinking is OK? Teenagers will push and test limits, just as we did when we were young. However, most of us knew that our parents didn’t approve and we tried to keep it hidden. By allowing or providing the opportunity for them to drink, we are condoning underage drinking and opening the door to all the dangers.

1 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s Underage Drinking Research Initiative

2 Center for Disease Control

3 Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine

4 Duke University and North Carolina University