Alcohol and Addiction: What to know

Alcohol and Addiction: What to know

• Alcohol is the #1 most abused substance by teens.1

• Teens who start drinking before the age of 15 are 6 times more likely to develop chemical dependency later in life than someone who starts drinking at 21.2

• Research indicates that adolescents who drink alcohol are more likely to experience a number of negative consequences, such as: physical or sexual assault, unintentional injuries, memory problems, legal problems, and impaired school performance. This risk is higher for those who binge drink.1

• Addiction develops much faster in adolescents than adults. Adolescents can become addicted in as little as 6 months-2 years of use. For an adult, it can take 5 - 20 years of use.1

• A 2013 survey of high school students found that 22% of students reported that they rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol.1

• Each year, approximately 5,000 youth under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking.2

• More than 90% of alcohol consumed by teens is done so in the form of binge drinking, for males 5 or more drinks and for females 4 or more drinks within a few hours.4

• Brain development during adolescence is characterized by dramatic changes to structure, neuron connectivity, and physiology. The brain continues this development until about age 25, making adolescent alcohol consumption a risk for long term brain functioning.5

• The cerebral cortex slows down after the consumption of alcohol, making it difficult to process the information received by the senses.5

• When alcohol reaches the brain’s frontal lobes, a person may have difficulty planning, forming ideas, making decisions, and using self-control. They may act without thinking, have difficulty controlling emotions, or become violent.5

• The cerebellum is responsible for coordination, thoughts and awareness. When alcohol reaches this part of the brain, a person likely has difficulty with these skills and will often lose their balance and fall.5

• Alcohol affects the hippocampus, which plays a role in numerous cognitive functions, such as learning, memory, coordination and judgment.1,5

• The hypothalamus is responsible for all the housekeeping chores of the body. After a person drinks alcohol, blood pressure, hunger, thirst, and the urge to urinate increase while body temperature and heart rate decrease.5

• The medulla controls the body’s automatic actions; when alcohol reaches this region, a person’s body temperature may fall below normal and their heartbeat and breathing may slow down.5

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1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Underage Drinking-Fact Sheets

2Data from National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

3SAMHSA’s Behavioral Health Marometer-2014

4Substance Abuse and mental health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 2015 Key Substance use and Mental Health Indicators in the United States. Results from the 2015 national Survey on Drug Use and Health. Figure 24.

5Too Smart to Start- Alcohol and the Developing Brain. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adm