| Underage drinking and use of other substances isn’t harmless fun. Adolescents are going through a critical period of physical and emotional growth. Kids who drink or use drugs during this time can suffer real damage—exposing their developing brains, lives, and mental health to serious, even deadly, consequences. Help the kids in your life understand the risks by getting the facts for yourself. |
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How kids get the hands on alcohol |
| For most youth, underage drinking usually happens at home or a friend’s house. But how kids get alcohol can change as they grow, and often depends on their age and how accessible beer, liquor, and other beverages are where they live and hang out. They sneak it. Two out of three teens say it’s easy to take alcohol from home without a caregiver noticing. Unlocked liquor cabinets and beer fridges don’t help. They buy it. A quarter (25%) of 11th grade drinkers admit to buying alcohol from a retailer, like a gas station or grocery, liquor, or convenience store. They ask for it. Often, older friends, siblings, and parents supply kids with alcohol. In fact, one in four teens report that they have attended a party where kids drank in front of adults. |
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Know the consequencecs |
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There’s a reason the legal drinking age is 21. It’s to keep our kids healthy and safe. When youth drink alcohol, they can damage and even block the development of healthy mental pathways in the brain that shape how kids feel, learn, behave, and grow. Damage like that can have lifelong physical, social, and emotional consequences. https://dhs.wisconsin.gov/small-talks/underage-drinking-facts.htm Illegal drug use increases the likelihood that youth will engage in risk behaviors that can have dramatic, and lasting effects on their health and academic performance. |
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| Youth opioid use is linked to risky behaviors like not using a condom and that can lead to HIV, STDs, and unintended pregnancy. These health risk behaviors and experiences put youth at greater risk for sexually transmitted infections, like HIV and other STDs, and unintended pregnancy.4 Some of these behaviors, like drug use and having sex at an early age, are also consistently linked to poor grades, test scores, and lower educational attainment.5-9 Preventing Illegal Drug Use We can take steps to prevent adolescent drug use that will help them stay healthier for decades to come and perform better in school. A majority of adults with substance misuse disorders and addictions started during their adolescent and young adult years.10 Schools, parents, and families can help prevent high-risk drug use, both individually and by working together. |
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| Schools Schools can use strategies shown to prevent illegal drug use and other risk behaviors: • Create safe and supportive school environments that successfully connect students to a network of caring peers and adults in school and the surrounding community. Provide training for staff, programs focused on positive youth development, policies that support all youth, and activities, such as student-led clubs that support LGBTQ youth. • Deliver quality health education and sexual health education that prepare students with the knowledge and skills needed to make informed health decisions. • Connect students to mental and sexual health services at school or in the community. |
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| Schools can also foster school connectedness and parent engagement in schools, two key factors that protect students from using drugs and from other health risk behaviors and experiences: • Make students feel connected by showing them that adults and peers in their school care about them as individuals. Implement strategies and actions to strengthen school connectedness among your students. • Find ways to work together with parents and families to support and improve the learning, development, and health of your students and their adolescents. Safe and supportive environments can foster both school connectedness and parent engagement. They also support youth mental health and well-being. Both are linked to better student behavior and academic performance.11 Parents and Families Schools, families, and communities should work together to build a safe environment for youth at school and at home. • Talking to youth about drug use and sexual risk behaviors tells them someone cares about them. • Getting engaged in and involved at their schools can make a big difference in their lives and doesn’t have to take a lot of time. |
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Studies show that parental involvement in the lives of adolescents can reduce the chance that they will use nonmedical prescription, and illegal drugs.12-13 |
| Underage drinking and use of other substances isn’t harmless fun. Adolescents are going through a critical period of physical and emotional growth. Kids who drink or use drugs during this time can suffer real damage—exposing their developing brains, lives, and mental health to serious, even deadly, consequences. Help the kids in your life understand the risks by getting the facts for yourself. |
|
|
How kids get the hands on alcohol |
| For most youth, underage drinking usually happens at home or a friend’s house. But how kids get alcohol can change as they grow, and often depends on their age and how accessible beer, liquor, and other beverages are where they live and hang out. They sneak it. Two out of three teens say it’s easy to take alcohol from home without a caregiver noticing. Unlocked liquor cabinets and beer fridges don’t help. They buy it. A quarter (25%) of 11th grade drinkers admit to buying alcohol from a retailer, like a gas station or grocery, liquor, or convenience store. They ask for it. Often, older friends, siblings, and parents supply kids with alcohol. In fact, one in four teens report that they have attended a party where kids drank in front of adults. |
|
Know the consequencecs |
|
There’s a reason the legal drinking age is 21. It’s to keep our kids healthy and safe. When youth drink alcohol, they can damage and even block the development of healthy mental pathways in the brain that shape how kids feel, learn, behave, and grow. Damage like that can have lifelong physical, social, and emotional consequences. https://dhs.wisconsin.gov/small-talks/underage-drinking-facts.htm Illegal drug use increases the likelihood that youth will engage in risk behaviors that can have dramatic, and lasting effects on their health and academic performance. |
|
| Youth opioid use is linked to risky behaviors like not using a condom and that can lead to HIV, STDs, and unintended pregnancy. These health risk behaviors and experiences put youth at greater risk for sexually transmitted infections, like HIV and other STDs, and unintended pregnancy.4 Some of these behaviors, like drug use and having sex at an early age, are also consistently linked to poor grades, test scores, and lower educational attainment.5-9 Preventing Illegal Drug Use We can take steps to prevent adolescent drug use that will help them stay healthier for decades to come and perform better in school. A majority of adults with substance misuse disorders and addictions started during their adolescent and young adult years.10 Schools, parents, and families can help prevent high-risk drug use, both individually and by working together. |
|
| Schools Schools can use strategies shown to prevent illegal drug use and other risk behaviors: • Create safe and supportive school environments that successfully connect students to a network of caring peers and adults in school and the surrounding community. Provide training for staff, programs focused on positive youth development, policies that support all youth, and activities, such as student-led clubs that support LGBTQ youth. • Deliver quality health education and sexual health education that prepare students with the knowledge and skills needed to make informed health decisions. • Connect students to mental and sexual health services at school or in the community. |
|
| Schools can also foster school connectedness and parent engagement in schools, two key factors that protect students from using drugs and from other health risk behaviors and experiences: • Make students feel connected by showing them that adults and peers in their school care about them as individuals. Implement strategies and actions to strengthen school connectedness among your students. • Find ways to work together with parents and families to support and improve the learning, development, and health of your students and their adolescents. Safe and supportive environments can foster both school connectedness and parent engagement. They also support youth mental health and well-being. Both are linked to better student behavior and academic performance.11 Parents and Families Schools, families, and communities should work together to build a safe environment for youth at school and at home. • Talking to youth about drug use and sexual risk behaviors tells them someone cares about them. • Getting engaged in and involved at their schools can make a big difference in their lives and doesn’t have to take a lot of time. |
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Studies show that parental involvement in the lives of adolescents can reduce the chance that they will use nonmedical prescription, and illegal drugs.12-13 |
