Effects and Consequences of Underage Drinking. NCJ 237145

摘要

By raising the drinking age to 21 across the United States, Congress has provided a highly effective strategy to increase youth health and safety. Tens of thousands of lives have been saved in traffic crashes alone. Nonetheless, youth and young adults under age 21 often drink alcoholic beverages. Alcohol consumption is often accepted as normal adolescent and young adult behavior. According to a 2011 report from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, by the time teenagers reached grade 12, almost 71 percent had used alcohol at least once in their lives and 41.2 percent had drunk alcohol during the past month (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2011). Older adolescents and young adults drink at even higher levels, especially those who attend college (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2011).