Alcohol is a factor in the three leading causes of teen deaths accidents, homicides and suicides. In 1998, the deaths of 640 Texans under the age of 21 were blamed on alcohol almost five times the number of deaths due to all illicit drugs combined. More than 80 percent of Texas seniors and 40 percent of sixth graders say they have used alcohol. More than half of those sixth graders say they had their first drink when they were 9 years old or younger. National studies have found that children who begin drinking alcohol before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcoholism in adulthood than children who do not drink until the legal age of 21.
Many people believe drinking is an inevitable part of growing up.
It s not. Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse surveys show that parents attitudes play a powerful role in a child s decision not to drink. Only 23 percent of secondary students who said their parents disapproved of underage drinking had consumed alcohol during the past school year, compared to 56 percent of the students who said their parents approved of their drinking, according to the commission s 1998 survey. Parents need to make sure their children understand the dangers of alcohol. About 26 percent of seniors report binge drinking, or consuming five or more drinks at one time.