National public education campaign under way to reduce underage drinking substance abuse and mental health health services administration

National Public Education Campaign Under Way To Reduce Underage Drinking Substance Abuse and mental health Health Services Administration

As a children's author, illustrator, poet, songwriter, screenwriter, playwright and Oscar nominee, Shel Silverstein was truly one of a kind. His work entertained and amused both children and adults.

National Public Education Campaign Under Way To Reduce Underage Drinking Substance Abuse and mental health Health Services Administration

Alcohol is the most widely used substance of abuse among America's youth. A higher percentage of young people, ages 12 to 20, use alcohol (29 percent) than use tobacco (24 percent) or illicit drugs (14 percent), making underage drinking a leading public health problem in the United States. A new national effort to encourage parents to speak with their children about this critical problem is under way. Some people find it hard to believe that by the time they reach eighth grade, 41 percent of adolescents have had at least one drink, and almost 20 percent report having been drunk. It's also a fact that adults who had first used alcohol before age 15 are five times more likely to report dependence on or abuse of alcohol than adults who first used it at age 21 or older. In addition to its negative impact on health, alcohol use among youth is strongly correlated with violence, risky sexual behavior, poor academic performance, driving incidents and other harmful behaviors.

Yet many parents do not see drinking

 

Recommended For You