Even today, Alcohol is still the most commonly used substance among teens and young adults. While overall use has declined in recent years, the way teens consume alcohol has changed dramatically.
Overall, teens may drink less often than adults but when they do drink, young people tend to consume more than 90% of their alcohol by binge drinking. This is extremely concerning because of the health consequences of youth alcohol use, which include poor judgment, driving under the influence, accidents, and alcohol poisoning, as well as damage to brain development or addiction.
Today's alcohol landscape is dominated by sweet flavored options that tend to mask the taste of alcohol - these include hard seltzers, alcopops and coolers, and spirit-based ready-to-drink cocktails. Many times, teens don't consider these drinks to be "real alcohol." Add that to the fact that social media highlights drinking games and social challenges and all this has created dangerous alcohol consumption patterns with a more normalized view of drinking and increased binge drinking.
For these reasons and more, it is important for parents and teens to be informed and involved when it comes to alcohol use. Conversations can begin when seeing alcohol ads or usage featured on TV shows, movies, or in social media. You could also ask what types of alcohol your kids may hear about in school or talk about in their friend groups.
Being informed and knowledgeable can help kids learn to make better choices and stay safe.
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