According to the 2022-23 TN Together Survey 82.6% of Dickson County Teens reported zero alcohol use in the past 30 days.
What you should know about alcohol
Get the Facts. Underage drinking is:
IS IT REALLY UNSAFE TO DRINK UNTIL I’M 21?
YES. The risks of underage drinking are high. Research suggests that drinking during the teen years could interfere with normal brain development and increase the risk of developing an alcohol use disorder later in life.
WHY DO MY FRIENDS DRINK ALCOHOL IF IT IS UNSAFE?
Many teens experience peer pressure to drink alcohol, and some are looking for a way to cope with stress; however, underage drinking will result in more problems—not fewer. In 2019, about 4.2 million young people aged 12 to 20 reported binge drinking (for males, 5 or more drinks, and for females, 4 or more drinks on the same occasion within a few hours) at least once in the past month.
MY PARENTS USED TO DRINK WHEN THEY WERE UNDERAGE. WHY CAN’T I?
Minimum drinking age laws exist for a reason— they help keep everyone safer. After states increased the legal drinking age to 21, there were fewer car crashes. Also, drinking during the previous month for 18- to 20-year-olds declined after all states adopted a minimum legal drinking age of 21, from 59 percent in 1985 to 40 percent in 1991.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Underage drinking is dangerous and can be deadly. Talk to your parents, a doctor, a counselor, a teacher, or another adult you trust if you have questions.
LEARN MORE: Get the latest information on how underage drinking affects the brain and body at teens.drugabuse.gov.
How can you tell if a friend is using alcohol?
BEFORE YOU RISK IT!
KNOW THE LAW.
The minimum drinking age in the United States is 21. Having a national minimum drinking age saves lives and improves health. There is even evidence that the law protects people from other drug dependence and suicide.
KNOW THE RISKS.
Underage drinking contributes to more than 4,300 deaths among people below the age of 21 in the U.S. each year. Drinking under age 21 is also strongly linked with death from alcohol poisoning.
LOOK AROUND YOU.
Although alcohol is the most commonly used substance by teens, most teens don’t drink. Each year, teens’ alcohol use continues to drop—in 2019, rates of past-year alcohol use by students in 10th and 12th grades were at a 5-year low.
Is your friend using alcohol?
BE A FRIEND. SAVE A LIFE.
Encourage your friend to stop drinking or seek help from a parent, teacher, or another caring adult.
For 24/7 free and confidential information and treatment referrals in English and Español, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at: 1–800–662–HELP (1–800–662–4357) or visit the SAMHSA Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator at: findtreatment.samhsa.gov
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT UNDERAGE DRINKING PREVENTION, CONTACT:
SAMHSA 1–877–SAMHSA–7 (1–877–726–4727) (English and Español) TTY 1–800–487–4889 www.samhsa.gov | store.samhsa.gov