CITIZENS RALLYING FOR CHANGE ON ALCOHOL

A young person’s body cannot cope with alcohol the same way an adult’s can.

Drinking is more harmful to teens than adults because their brains are still developing throughout adolescence and well into young adulthood. Drinking during this critical growth period can lead to lifelong damage in brain function, particularly as it relates to memory, motor skills (ability to move) and coordination.

According to research, young people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who begin drinking at age 21.

Alcohol is a potent drug that depresses the central nervous system and changes the way people think and feel. Teenagers can be more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol because they have not built up physical tolerance.

They also lack drinking experience and are less able to judge their own levels of intoxication.

Most young people are smaller than adults and so alcohol can have a greater effect. There is some new evidence that developing minds and bodies may be more vulnerable to the negative effects of alcohol.

The earlier a young person begins unsupervised drinking, the greater the risk of alcohol-related problems in later life.