When alcohol is present in the blood stream it directly affects the hypothalamus, possibly damaging it, particularly during the adolescent years. In addition, alcohol has a profound effect on the frontal lobe- the part of the brain that allows us to analyze and program our behaviour. These processes require a tremendous amount of energy. The depressant nature of alcohol directly lowers the energy centre in the brain. Those who lower the energy levels in the brain by using alcohol or other toxic chemicals, lose not only mental capacity, but their ability to realize they have lost it.
Adolescence is a time of changing attitudes, perception and behaviour.
Peer pressure is very strong and the need to belong and to be accepted often leads a young person to yield to these pressures. Adolescence is also a time of fluctuating pyschological and physical growth. So the next time you're offered a drink, you might point out to your friend that for those under 18, drinking is against the law. Your companions might scoff at you. They'll ask what you're afraid of.