Why do adults, most of whom drink at least occasionally, and some of whom use other drugs, want to prevent underage drinking?
The 2002 National Survey on Drug Abuse in America reveals that 70% of adults drink alcohol and 8.3% of American 12 and older use other drugs. It seems clear that most students believe they are justified in asking why, if it (drinking, smoking, using drugs) is OK for adults, it is not ok for themselves. And adults need to have some answers. Some of the best answers can be found in the American Medical Association Fact Sheet on underage drinking and the teenage brain, (see www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/9416.html). Some facts from that, and other sources, are: • Underage drinking results in permanent damage to the memory. • Underage drinking results in damage to the part of the brain where critical thinking and learning takes place. • Underage drinking usually leads to lower grade point averages. • The younger a person is when starting to drink, the higher the chances of alcohol addiction. • Increasing numbers of young people are becoming addicted to alcohol and other drugs before the
