Alcohol Facts For Young People

Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. When used in moderation, it can help people relax and unwind. But overuse hampers your motor skills, impairs your judgment and can lead to depression and emotional problems. The risk is especially high in young people, whose brains continue to develop through early adulthood and can suffer long-lasting damage from alcohol abuse, the American Medical Association says.

Most Don't Drink

Some young people drink alcohol, but it's hardly the case that "everyone" is doing it, and the rate of use has been falling for years. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a comprehensive study regularly conducted by the federal government, found that in 2008, fewer than half of all people age 20 and under reported having taken a drink of alcohol in the previous month. For ages 18-20, it was 48.7 percent; for ages 16-17, 26.2 percent; for ages 14-15, 13.1 percent; and for ages 13 and under, 3.4 percent. For all groups, the percentages declined from 2002 to 2008.

Impaired Drivers Kill

Every day, 32 people in the United States are killed in traffic accidents involving an driver impaired by alcohol, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. Alcohol-related crashes killed nearly 12,000 people in 2008, the CDC says, accounting for about one-third of all U.S. traffic deaths. And among drivers found to be legally drunk after a fatal crash, more than one-third are ages 21-24.

Standards Are Lower

The legal definition of intoxication for people operating a motor vehicle is a blood-alcohol content of 0.08. If you have that much alcohol in your blood, you are considered drunk, no matter how well you may perform. However, if you are underage, the limit is much lower. In 14 states and the District of Columbia, any detectable amount of alcohol in your blood is considered a violation. Two states define a blood-alcohol content of 0.01 as legally intoxicated. In the other 34 states, the standard is 0.02 percent. If you violate these laws, you can expect to be arrested and lose your driver's license. You may even lose your car.

It's All Alcohol

No form of alcohol is more or less likely to get you drunk than any other. In fact, typical alcohol serving sizes all have roughly the same amount of alcohol: a 12-ounce bottle of beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine and a 1.5-ounce shot of liquor. And beware of "non-alcoholic" beer. It still has alcohol in it, just not as much, and that alcohol can show up on a breath test.

Trouble Starts Early

More than 35 percent of adults with a drinking problem were showing symptoms of such behavior before age 19, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Among the biggest red flags: binge drinking, or consuming more than five alcoholic drinks on one occasion. Others include drinking on a regular basis, lying about your alcohol intake and experiencing "blackouts"--instances when you can't remember what you did after drinking.