“An Impaired Mind is an Unprepared Mind”-Duane Alan Hahn

Alcohol is the drug choice among youth. -Many young people are experiencing the consequences of drinking too much at too early an age. Why is that??? Its easily accessible Teens DO NOT consider it to be a “drug” Peer pressure

Young people who begin drinking before age 15 are five times more likely to develop alcohol dependence  THE CHANCES OF THIS DEPENDENCE BECOMING A FORM OF ALCOHOLIC ABUSE IS TWO AND A HALF TIMES MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR IN THESE INDIVIDUALS THAN THOSE WHO BEGIN DRINKING AT AGE 21.  Because the brain is developing until a person reaches his/her early 20’s, alcohol abuse during adolescence can easily cause PERMANENT DAMAGE.  Society gives youths mixed messages about alcohol. As parents, their best resource available is… YOU!

South Carolina is ranked 23 rd highest among the fifty states for the cost per youth of underage drinking.

Underage drinking cost the citizens of South Carolina $1.1 billion in  This translates to a cost of $2, 428 per year for each youth in the state.

Alcohol related car crashes kill someone every 45 minutes and injures someone every 2 minutes

“a mind is a terrible thing to waste” – United Negro College Fund Academic Problems: o About 25% of college students report that academic consequences of drinking include: 1. Missing class 2. Falling behind 3. Poor exams/paper quality 4. Lower grades overall o In schools with high binge drinking rates non-binge drinkers reported: 1. 34% had been humiliated or insulted by binge drinkers % pushed, hit, or assaulted 3. 54% took care of a drunken student % were interrupted while studying 5. 26% of women faced unasked sexual advances

 The effects of alcohol abuse include but are not limited to o Alcohol Poisoning o Blackouts/Memory Loss o Personality disorders; social conflicts o Ulcers o Heart Disease o Heart Attack o Liver Cancer o (for expecting females): Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Def. [noun]: mental and physical birth defects resulted from alcohol consumption during pregnancy. This syndrome is the leading cause of mental retardation. A national survey revealed half of women between the ages of drank while pregnant. FAS is NOT a childhood disorder and can cause a wide range of lifelong physical and mental disabilities.

 Chesterfield County’s approximated financial impact of underage drinking and driving for the year of 2010 will be roughly $24.4 million.

Prevention is the first step: Positive peer pressure goes a long way.  “What parents may not realize is that children say that parental disapproval of underage drinking is the key reason they have chosen not to drink” -Charles Curie, Substances Abuse and Mental Health Administrator o Alternatives:  Become active in your community, church, or school a)Involved teens are less likely to drink b)Teens who act as role models for younger kids have less of a desire to be involved in the “cool” drinking crowd