Last Updated on December 10, 2019 by Valarie Ward

What’s the harm in underage drinking? Some countries let their youth consume alcohol long before the age of 21. Some parents don’t see a problem with letting their middle or high schooler experiment with alcohol under supervision at home. So what’s all this talk about an underage drinking problem in North Carolina?

Agencies, organizations, and governments across the United States have launched an enormous call to action. Their goal is to prevent and reduce underage drinking.

But why?

Excerpts from The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking, covered by the Bloomberg School of Public Health, shed light on why underage drinking is receiving such intense attention. Consider these direct quotes:

• “The short- and long-term consequences that arise from underage alcohol consumption are astonishing in their range and magnitude, affecting adolescents, the people around them, and society as a whole.”
• “Adolescence is a time of life characterized by robust physical health and low incidence of disease, yet overall morbidity and mortality rates increase 200 percent between middle childhood and late adolescence/early adulthood.”
• “Annually, about 5,000 people under age 21 die from alcohol-related injuries involving underage drinking.”
• “Approximately 40 percent of individuals who report drinking before age 15 also describe their behavior and drinking at some point in their lives in ways consistent with a diagnosis for alcohol dependence. This is four times as many as among those who do not drink before age 21.”

For those who drink under the age of 21, their life course is at risk of dramatic, negative change. Not only do they risk developmental issues that could forever decrease their quality of life, but they are also at much greater risk of serious injury, criminal charges, and death.

The Surgeon General’s Call to Action goes on to report:

• Roughly 1,700 college students (ages 18 to 24) die every year from alcohol related unintentional injuries, including motor vehicle crashes.
• Some 600,000 students are injured while under the influence of alcohol.
• About 700,000 students are assaulted by a student who has been drinking.
• Approximately, 100,000 students become victims of alcohol related sexual assaults or date rape.

Is underage drinking dangerous? Undoubtedly.

The Impact of Underage Drinking in NC

North Carolina is not immune to the impact of underage drinking. Earlier this year, the Governor and the state’s Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) Commission launched a targeted campaign against underage drinking.

In a concentrated effort to raise public awareness about the scope and danger of this state-wide problem, the campaign is striving to enlighten those who fail to see the issue. What is the impact of underage alcohol consumption in North Carolina?

According to A Special report Series by the State Center for Health Statistics (SCHS), “Underage drinking has serious social, health, and economic consequences.” The report results show that alcohol use is common among those under the age of 21 in NC. This has led to a large number of arrests for underage drinkers driving while impaired and for alcohol law violations.

The 2013 Report to Congress on the Prevention and Reduction of Underage Drinking reveals a harsh reality:

• As of 2013, the state’s population was over 9.6 million, and the population of those ages 12 to 20 was over 1.1 million.
• 23% (257,000) of those ages 12 to 20 admitted to using alcohol in the past month, and 12% (143,000) admitted to binge alcohol use.
• 156 deaths were alcohol attributed.
• 9,323 years of potential life were lost.

The report goes on to detail the many laws addressing and targeting the campaign to prevent and reduce underage drinking. North Carolina’s Zero Tolerance Law makes the consequences of alcohol law violation severe. Yet violations keep accumulating. Why?

The Need for Alcohol Education in North Carolina

Whether you are a parent or a youth, you see and hear a lot about alcohol. It permeates television shows, movies, and music. You know people who drink, and chances are you know someone who drinks even though they are under 21.

The real facts about underage alcohol use are buried under a party stigma that says alcohol consumption is a rite of passage. The need for alcohol education is enormous, and you can start filling the gap between fantasy and reality—a step that can save lives.

Here are eight alcohol myths versus facts that you can share with your child, your parents, or your friends:

#1: Alcohol isn’t as harmful as other drugs.

You’ve heard it before. Alcohol is legal, therefore it’s okay to indulge. The truth is it increases your risk for developing deadly diseases, like cancer. Drinking too much too quickly (binge drinking) can lead to alcohol poisoning, which kills!

#2: Drinking is a great way to loosen up and party.

It’s true, alcohol can make you feel loose. But it’s a dumb way to loosen up. Drinking makes you say things you shouldn’t, do things you wouldn’t normally do, and can lead to dangerous actions, like fights or unprotected sex.

#3: Drinking makes me cool.

When you drink, you lose control. You stumble, fall, pass out, and even vomit. Is that cool?

#4: Everyone drinks. I need to drink to fit in.

This is peer pressure. It’s wrong! Drinking isn’t a rite of passage. It’s not the way to fit in. It could get you killed or cause an addiction, and that is NOT fitting in.

#5: I can sober up fast, so getting drunk isn’t a big deal.

Don’t fall for this myth! There’s no such thing as a fast way to sober up. Alcohol affects the brain. It gets into the blood. You can’t shake it off with a shower, coffee, or a crazy hangover remedy. It takes 2 to 3 hours for a single drink to exit the body and nothing speeds up this process.

#6: Adults do it. I can, too.

Your body and brain are still growing. Alcohol can change how they grow, and not for the better. Drinking as a teen increases your chances of developing a dependency.

#7: Beer and wine are safe.

Liquor, beer, wine; it’s all the same. It’s all alcohol. There’s no such thing as “safe” alcohol.

#8: I can drink and not have problems.

If you’re under 21, you risk a host of problem. First, alcohol consumption is illegal. Get caught and you’ll be in legal trouble. Youth who drink are more likely to do poorly in school and are at higher risk of becoming a crime victim.

Underage drinking is no small matter. Don’t make the mistake of underestimating it.